A Matter of Time
by duskwatcher2153
Summary: Post BD. Canon. The Cullens must face a new threat from the Volturi, even as renegade wolves start taking down their friends. When Jacob and Nessie are theatened, battles that were once walked away from must now be fought. Violence, some light citrus
1. Chapter 1

Now a recommendation of The Lazy Yest Discerning Ficster! (June 7, 2009)

Preface

The cloaked figures moved silently down the stone corridors. This part of the castle was never seen except by the guard and the oldest members of the order. An occasional sconce graced the walls and the candles flickered as the pair of figures ghosted past. They came to a carved wooden door at the end of the corridor which creaked as the figures entered into the dimly lit room beyond.

The room was opulently furnished with thick carpets, tapestry hangings and dark, heavy furniture. The only light source was the fire crackling below the ornate mantel. Blackness pooled around the edges of the room. A large winged chair turned to the fire held a sole figure.

"Tell me the good news," the figure in the chair demanded.

The cloaked figures threw back their hoods. "Arrigo and Sebastian have been dealt with. If we thin out the guard anymore, there will be questions."

"Thinning out the guard. What a delicate way to put it," the seated figure said thoughtfully. "Renata?" he asked.

"The lure worked perfectly. She didn't stand a chance. Mei-An's range is so huge, Renata went up like a matchstick."

Caius sighed. It was time to give Aro and Marcus something new to deal with. A chance for them to settle an old score. Of course, Caius knew he'd win no matter who walked away from that argument.

"Well, that is good news." Caius rose from his seat to turn and face them. "Then I guess the time has come."

"At last," said Alec.

Jane grabbed his hand with a triumphant grin. "At last," she echoed.

"Well," Caius said, looking around, "It will be easy to say goodbye to this dank hole. Let's go see to the end of the Volturi. Shall we?" He gestured toward the door.

"And then the Cullens, yes?" Jane asked eagerly, her eyes glinting with malice.

"And then the Cullens," Caius promised as they swept from the room.

***

Renesmee

"Rosalie! Are you finished yet? Let's go!" Jacob hollered up the stairs.

"Wait a minute, dog. I'm packing a leash." Rosalie came down the stairs, a huge purse slung over her shoulder and large suitcases in each hand. "Renesmee, did you remember your telescope? We should be able to do some great stargazing, without this constant cloud cover."

"Yes, I've got it." My suitcases were already packed and in the trunk of Rosalie's car. I had been packed for a week now. This was my first trip away from Forks without my parents and I was so excited. My uncle Jacob, my aunt Rosalie and I were making the trip up to the Denali National Park in Alaska to visit some old family friends. It would take us a good two days up to get there, well, maybe less with the way my aunt drove, and we would be stay for almost a week. We were going to stop in Seattle on the way home and do some shopping, so we'd be gone almost ten days.

"You packed your jacket, right?" Mom asked from behind me. "It gets cold up there at nights, even in August."

"Yes, Mom, I've got it." I rolled my eyes and Jacob grinned at me. Jacob, like my other uncles, was more of a playmate than an authority figure. Many times when I got into trouble with my parents, it was Jacob who'd been my cohort in crime. Although he would try to talk me out of my stupider ideas, he usually went along for the ride.

"And you've got your journal and biology text, yes?" Dad asked, with his arm around Mom. There were some distinct disadvantages to being home-schooled, not the least of them being that you lived with your teachers and couldn't make certain kinds of excuses. .

"Don't worry," Jacob said, picking up a small duffel bag from the floor next to him. "We'll make sure she gets her homework done."

"And if she doesn't, we'll say the dog ate it," Rosalie quipped as she headed for the garage.

"Hey Rosalie," Jacob shot back, "what do smart blondes and UFO's have in common? You always hear about them, but you never actually see any."

"Come on, you two, don't start," I said, all of us following behind Rosalie.

"She started it," Jacob said with a grin.

Jacob and Rosalie always had a prickly relationship. They were always doing this kind of bantering, but I could tell there was real affection underneath. Well, they both loved me enough to put up with each other for this trip, anyway.

Jasper, Emmett and my grandparents, Carlisle and Esme, were waiting for us in the garage. Emmett helped Rosalie with her luggage and then turned to face me. "Hey, Weed, don't grow too much while you're gone." His nickname for me was Weed, because he said I grew like one.

I hugged him goodbye and said, "Don't go endangering any species while I'm gone."

"Not a chance," he smiled back and turned to say good-bye to Rosalie. Jasper scooped me up next. "Gonna miss you, Nessie."

"You have a great time on your trip. Get me something cool?" I asked as he set me down.

"Of course!" Alice insisted as she put her arms around me. "I can't believe you think you have to ask!" Alice, Jasper and Esme were headed out to France and Italy tomorrow for a shopping trip. Alice, for fashion obviously, and Esme because she was decorating a new home for us in Newfoundland.

Jacob was getting last minute instructions from Mom and Dad. "Make sure she eats something once in a while, not just hunting, okay?" Dad said.

"Of course," Jacob said and grabbed me around the waist to rap his knuckles on my head. It wasn't quite the stretch it used to be, I was nearly up to his chest now. "We'll take good care of the little nugget." He shook Dad's hand and gave my mom a peck on the cheek before hopping over the door of Rosalie's convertible to settle his long frame over the entire back seat.

Esme handed a cooler to him. "I thought you might want something to eat during the journey."

"All right, Esme", Jacob said approvingly, as he snuck a peek in the cooler, before settling it on the floor.

I hugged Esme and Carlisle goodbye. "Take care now, child," Carlisle said. "Give my regards to Tanya and the family."

"Of course, Grandpa. Try to improve your chess game while I'm gone," I teased him. I had finally won a game against him last week after years of trying.

"I'll do that," he chuckled and made way for Mom to come hug me.

She grabbed my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. Her eyes were warm and golden, and as always, she was so beautiful. Watching her smile at me, I realized how much I was going to miss her. She was always my rock, never changing. We traveled so much, mostly because of me, and she had always been right there for me. It was too dangerous because of my supernatural growth rate for us to stay in any on place for too long where it would be noticed, yet at the same time my parents wanted me to know and appreciate others not like my family.

Now I was heading out without her and I felt suddenly conflicted. I had fought my parents long for this trip and I was looking forward to the freedom yet a part of me still felt very childlike and wanted my parents near.

I threw my arms around her neck and hugged her close. She was so solid in my arms. "I love you," I whispered. I showed her some of my memories of our favorite special times.

"We'll have lots more when you get back," she promised. "I love you, sweetheart" she said as she kissed my forehead and released me. "Have fun."

Dad was behind her, his eyes shining. "I am going to miss you fiercely," he said as he scooped me up into a hug. "Take care of my heart," he whispered in my ear as my feet dangled off the ground.

"I love you, Daddy." We kissed cheeks and then I turned around. The rest of the goodbyes had been said and Rosalie and I climbed into the car.

"Alice?" Mom murmured to my aunt, who stood next to her.

"Oh, Bella," Alice answered her. "You know I can't see anything with those two around. I'll get a headache just trying." My aunt Alice had the special gift of precognition, but it had its limitations, most notably around the tribe Jacob belonged to, and me of course. Shape shifters like Jacob blocked her ability to see possible futures. I was just so unique, we weren't quite sure why I blocked her.

"I know," Mom said. "Just thought I'd ask." She turned to my Dad with her eyebrow raised. They exchanged a glance.

"Nothing like that seems to be in their thoughts," Dad murmured to her, as Rosalie started the car and the garage door opened.

"Stop it, Daddy," I said. I wasn't sure what he meant but I hated it when he read my thoughts. We'd tried to work out some kind of compromise and he was usually pretty good about respecting my privacy.

"Bye, everyone, bye!" I yelled as Rosalie backed the car out of the garage and threw it into drive.

"Bye!" "Good luck!" "Have fun," they all yelled back. "Call every day!" That was my Mom.

The seven of them were lined up under the garage eaves with their hands raised. What a beautiful family I had. Maybe it was strange to be raised by a houseful of vampires, but it was all I'd ever known and I loved them all. In the seven years I'd been alive, they had nurtured and taught me and loved me. I was going to miss them, and I felt a lump in my throat as we sped down the driveway.

I waved at them, kneeling on my seat until the curves in the driveway took them from view. "So," I said to Rosalie as I bounced back into position in my seat, "when do I get to drive?"

***

Hours later, I was curled up in the back seat with a pillow and a blanket while the darkness outside sped by. The noise of the tires and the engine were lulling me into that dream state where you're not sure if you are awake or asleep. Jacob sat in the passenger seat up front, with the seat pushed back as far as it would go to accommodate his long legs. The only light was the glow from the dashboard. The radio, which had been playing softly, gradually slid into static.

I heard it click off and then Jacob said, "Not much reception around here. Did you want a cd or something?"

"No," Rosalie said. "I'm fine. How's Nessie?"

I heard the seat creak as Jacob shifted to turn and check on me. I kept my eyes closed and my breathing even.

"She's asleep," he said.

"Rosalie," Jacob said after a minute, "Thanks for having me. I don't get many chances to travel with Nessie, so this is a treat."

Jacob often stayed in Forks when my family traveled, which we did quite a bit. He had his own responsibilities with his tribe and his father depended on him. He ran a garage and everybody in Forks and on the res knew him.

On the other hand, I'd been all over the world. I'd met a lot of humans, and even knew three languages. But outside of my immediate family and grandparents, I couldn't say I really knew anybody well. I had too many people who loved me to say I was lonely, but I felt the lack of peers in my life. Jacob was the closest thing I had to a friend.

But things were going to change soon. As I neared what would be my "matured state" I would be able to join my family in their usual activities. Of course, we were all going to have to leave pretty soon. The family had been in Forks for almost ten years, and soon there would be the inevitable questions as to how unchanging their appearance was.

"You know it won't be long now before we make the move to Saint John for good," Rosalie reminded him.

"Why all the way across the country, for chrissakes? You couldn't find anything closer?" he griped.

"It's as rainy and foggy like Forks, for one. But the winters are still mild, and the hunting in the area should be good. Lots of moose, caribou and bears. The high school is a good one, that's important. This will be Nessie's first school."

"Too weird going to school with your parents as classmates," he grumbled.

"Hey, that's the way we do it. Don't knock it, it works," she answered, just a tad curtly.

Well, I was excited about going to school. I'd finally get the chance to see humans day after day, maybe make some friends. I'd been around a lot of humans, because Mom and Dad wanted to make sure I wasn't going to go all predator on them. I was just so curious, and I'd never gotten the chance to talk in-depth with any teenagers. What were they like? What did they think about? Weren't they scared all the time, they were so easily hurt?

Rosalie was saying"… what's best for Nessie."

"We all want that," he agreed.

"I mean the rest of us had a somewhat normal childhood," Rosalie said. "We had schoolmates and friends. We played with other kids and well, we had time. Time to be a child without this rush to grow up. Nessie's smart, but did we do the right thing by teaching her calculus when she was four? History at that age? How can you assimilate things like that when you're growing at this breakneck pace?"

"Well, she soaks it right up," he said. "I don't think we have to worry about what we should or should not have done. She's a great kid. She's always been so clear about what she needs, sometimes I feel like she is raising us."

"Ha! That's for sure," Rosalie chuckled. "Remember that time you were trying to get a diaper on her? She climbed up on the coffee table, pulled you by the shirt collar, looked you in the eye and told you, "No Jacob, I want big girl pants."

They both chuckled, and Jacob said, "Yeah, I remember. And she was right. She was potty trained from then on".

They were silent for a moment and then Jacob said, "Remember that time Charlie came to visit and bought a kids' book to read to her? Nessie jumped up and got Moby Dick and started reading to him."

"Oh yeah," said Rosalie. "His eyes just about popped out of his head." They both laughed again.

There was another pause while they both sifted through their thoughts.

"Jacob, I need to ask you something. We, like, never get a chance to talk just us two. What's this imprinting thing all about anyway?" Rosalie sounded genuinely curious.

"Geez, Rosalie, I don't know if I can explain it." I could hear the reluctance in his voice. Jacob didn't like to talk about this, and he certainly didn't discuss it with me. I think he just wanted it accepted as fact that he was a big part of my life and he was always going to be around.

"Well, try." Aunt Rosalie was nothing if not direct. One of the great things about Rosalie was you never had to guess where she stood on an issue, she had no qualms about letting you know.

He was quiet for a moment. "Oh, I don't know. It's kind of like, well, seeing God. All of a sudden your life makes sense. You know what you were meant to do with your life."

"And that means…?"

"Protect her, love her, see to her happiness. It's got to be like being a parent, I think. That kind of commitment. It never fades or gets old."

Rosalie sighed. "She's the closest I'll ever get to having my own child."

Jacob paused. "You know, it was really hard for me when Renesmee was born." I heard him swallow and heard the pain in his voice. I risked opening an eye.

"It nearly killed me to see Bella ripped apart like that and I can remember coming downstairs wanting to..." His fists clenched and unclenched. "But then I saw Nessie and suddenly none of that mattered. Oh, I still cared about what was happening to Bella, but my priorities changed. In the blink of an eye. Totally. Irrevocably."

"You mean like, love at first sight?"

"No, different, stronger than that. More fundamental." He shook his head. The glow from the dashboard barely illuminated his deep set eyes, but I could see the conviction in his face.

She chewed on that for a moment. "Did I ever tell you how I met Emmett?"

"Didn't you, like, rescue him from a bear?"

"Yes," she said. "And brought him home in my arms, barely alive, to be changed by Carlisle. I knew right away that he was what I wanted."

"And you hoped you could build a life with him."

"Yes, exactly," she said.

"Well, with me, there was no hope. I knew I would build a life with her. There was no life without her," he said matter-of-factly. His face looked surprisingly vulnerable.

"But, Jacob, she's no longer just a girl. She is nearly a woman."

"I know," Jacob groaned. "She's been menstruating for months now."

"How do _you_ know that?" Rosalie was indignant.

"Wolf senses, remember?"

Rosalie pressed on. "Jacob, you've been a great protector and playmate for her and its obvious she loves you as a big brother. She may never see you as more than that. What will you do when she comes home with a date? If she finds a man that she can love?"

I was surprised to hear a note of challenge is Rosalie's voice. I realized I was holding my breath. They'd notice that, their hearing was so sharp. I tried to concentrate on breathing slowly and regularly.

"I don't know, Rosalie!" Jacob said, his hands covering his eyes. "I'll always want to do what's best for her."

Rosalie wasn't letting him off so easy. "And if that means letting another man have her?"

"Well, if it comes to that, and that's what she really wants…" he trailed off uncertainly.

I wasn't sure I was catching all of this. My mind was racing as I tried to put it together. I knew Jacob had imprinted on me, so he would always love me and protect me. But was there something more to the imprinting then I thought?

"You have to promise me Jacob, that you will let her decide." Rosalie's voice was stern. "That you'll give her the chance to grow up and not rush her into a relationship with you she may not be ready for."

"Of course, Rosalie," Jacob was starting to get angry. "What kind of a man do you think I am?"

Rosalie's voice softened. "I think you are a man who loves Nessie, who wants the best for her. Can you admit to the possibility that there could be someone out there who might be a better match for her? Promise me you'll give her the space to make that decision for herself."

"I promise, already," Jacob relented. "I would never push myself on her that way, not Nessie."

"That's what I'm asking," Rosalie said in a voice that was more demanding than asking. "Give her the room to find for herself what she needs. And, should she find someone, to let her go."

"God, you'd think I would be getting good at that. I'm getting enough practice." He said that lightly but I could hear the pain underlying his voice.

I knew about the imprinting. I just never thought about what it meant when I grew up. Jacob had always been the welcome visitor at our house, always ready to play with me, anything from dolls to video games. He was my best bud.

But to think of us as something more, wow. Did Jacob think of me that way? Did I think of Jacob that way?

"The engine's knocking again," Jacob grumbled.

I hadn't heard any change in the car's engine noise. Rosalie huffed indignantly. "It is not! This car is in perfect condition."

"Are you sure? What octane have you been using?" Jacob was needling her.

"The right one. There is no knocking." Rosalie wasn't having it.

"You can't hear that? I thought vampires were supposed to have good hearing."

"My hearing's fine."

"Did you check the valve spring? The fuel injector?"

The bickering went on as I gradually drifted off to sleep to the noise of the miles passing beneath us.

A/N Go ahead and review! Please, I won't bite.


	2. Chapter 2 Piano Practice

Stephanie Meyers owns all things Twilight. Yada yada yada

**Bella**

I was practicing my piano when I saw the familiar blue and white cruiser pull up the driveway. I walked out the door and down the front steps to greet Charlie.

"Hey, Dad," I called.

"Bella," he said in greeting, as he got out of the car. I noticed he didn't even flinch as my cold lips brushed his cheek. I still hadn't had an honest conversation with Charlie about the 'transformation' I'd gone through. He kept operating on a need to know basis, and I was happy to keep it that way, if it made him more comfortable. Still, every once in a while I'd catch him staring at me with a speculative look in his eyes. I did know that after Sue Clearwater moved in with him, he'd been more accepting of the unexplained mysteries happening around him. I think she had a calming effect on him. Not that he had ever been an emotional guy, but he just seemed happier.

"Did Nessie leave for Alaska?" he asked.

"Yep, yesterday morning. They gave me a call earlier today. They should be there by now." I nodded towards the house. "Come in, have a beer?"

"Well, I'm off duty in about three minutes," he said as he checked his watch. "I guess we could rush it." We wandered towards the front of the house. The sun was just setting behind us.

"Mind if we sit out here?" he gestured towards the porch.

"Not at all, it's a nice night. I'll be right back." I went to go get a beer from the fridge.

He was sitting in the far corner of the porch when I came back. I handed him the beer and sat down in the chair next to him. The sound of the stream behind the house burbling through the rocks floated on the still air. He popped the top, took a sip and sat back.

I knew Charlie well enough to know he had something to say to me and that there was no rushing him. I sat back and let him work up to it.

"Alice around?" he asked.

"No, she left with Jasper and Esme yesterday to do some shopping overseas."

"Ah," he nodded. "Just wanted to thank her about that new fishing spot. She was right about the fish there."

"She's good at that sort of thing." I smiled internally.

"M-m-m yes," he agreed. "Uncanny, even."

"Uncanny, that's her."

We spent a moment listening to the evening and he took another sip of his beer. "How was Jacob doing when you saw him?"

"Good. Happy to be going away with Nessie."

"He's a good uncle to that child."

"We're blessed to have him in our lives."

"Yep." Another sip. _Here it comes_. "Did he say anything about the Quileutes?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"Well, Billy has been pretty concerned about this young group of roughnecks. Seems like they've been stirring up people on the rez with talk about terrorists and such."

"Terrorists?" I started chuckling. "Here in Forks?"

"Well, maybe not in Forks, but around. They've been disruptive and belligerent at the Elder's meetings. A lot of harsh words have been said. They won't even listen to Sam and you know how much the kids look up to him." Charlie rubbed his face with one hand. This was getting dangerously close to things that Charlie really didn't want to even acknowledge.

Trouble at the elders' meetings? This was news. Jacob hadn't said anything about it but he was pretty closed-mouth about what was happening inside the pack. I wondered if these "roughnecks" as Charlie called them were part of the werewolf pack. I knew around Renesmee's birth that the wolf pack had grown exponentially. Carlisle and Edward thought it had been in response to all the vampires coming and going at that time. Since then, we had discouraged those kinds of visitors and had spent a lot of time in the British Isles and elsewhere, partly because of how fast Renesmee had matured and also to let things settle between the Quileutes and us. Carlisle had believed that we should let our relations with the pack calm and give them some time to accept the status quo. Jacob had always led me to believe that we had been successful in that respect.

"No, Jacob hasn't said anything," I said. I looked up across the meadow to see Edward strolling in our direction from the cottage.

"Well, apparently, Jake is part of the problem." Charlie was looking at his beer like it might jump out of his hand.

"Jake is?" This was surprising.

"Jake is not that popular among a lot of the Quileutes these days," Charlie said, still not meeting my eyes.

"Since when?"

"Well, for a while now. Some of these kids have been talking trash about Jacob behind his back. Billy's been fretting over it. But you know Jake. He's not listening."

_Well, that was Jacob all over._

"Hey, Chief." Edward came up on the porch and walked over to us.

"Hey, Edward." Charlie stood up to shake his hand. "I was just heading out. Sue's probably holding dinner for me, as it is."

"Well, I'm glad somebody is keeping you away from the kitchen," I teased him.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll have you know Sue is an excellent cook."

I walked him to the car. "How is she doing?" I was glad Charlie had Sue; she was doing good things for him. It had been a tough time for Sue. Not long after she moved in with Charlie, she and Leah had had a huge fight. Sue and Seth hadn't heard from Leah for the past six months. Even Jacob hadn't heard anything, and since she'd been a part of his pack, there should have been some communication. Jacob thought she might have found another pack because he hadn't heard her phase at all. Seth thought she was strong enough to have become her own Alpha.

"She misses Leah. It's been rough not hearing from her. I'm not sure I believe Sue when she says moving in with me had nothing to do with it." Charlie got into the cruiser.

"Well, give her my love." I stuck my head through the window to give him a peck on the cheek.

"Thanks, take care of yourselves." Edward came up behind me to put his arm around my shoulders.

"Will do." We watched Charlie drive off.

"He's more concerned than he's letting on," Edward said as we turned back to the house. "Billy's got him worried about what's going on with the tribe. There's some concern for Jacob, too."

"Maybe we should go see Billy," I suggested.

"Will he talk to us?"

That was a good question. "Well, we can try. Maybe I'd better go alone, though. I think he'd open up more if it was just me."

"If you'd like." He kissed my hair and hugged me closer. "However, I'd like to spend a little time with my wife before she goes running off."

"Come on." I grabbed his hand. "You can help me with this etude I've been working on."

He sighed. "I knew it. You married me for my piano skills."

"Among other things." He chuckled as I pulled him toward the house.

The screen door banged behind us as we entered, but otherwise, the house was quiet. "Emmett around?" Edward asked as we walked over to the grand piano nestled in the living room.

"No, he took off to get some parts in Seattle about an hour ago." I sat down on the piano beach. "And Carlisle's at work until midnight."

I smiled at him as he realized we were alone in the big house. That didn't happen often at all with so many people living there. He smiled back at me then, that same crooked smile that had dazzled me years before.

Here I was, married seven years and still weak in the knees over this man of mine. Yes, our relationship had changed; we were more equal partners than before. But the thing that hadn't changed was the intense passion I felt for Edward. The knowledge that he felt the same about me had only strengthened and ripened our love. More secure in our love for each other, our intimacy had only deepened.

"It's this part right here I am having trouble with." I focused on the piano and played the bars which I had been struggling with.

"Ah," he murmured as he watched my fingers. He moved behind me, placed his hands gently on mine and whispered in my ear, "Try it this way."

I tried to focus on my fingers but his face lingered near mine, and I felt his breath on my ear. He pressed my fingers on the keys, but I didn't catch just how he did that. "Wait, wait, I didn't get that," I protested.

"Bella," he said in a mocking stern tone, "you're not paying attention." He swung his legs over the bench, so I stood up and then sat on the sliver of bench between his straddled legs. With his arms on either side of me, I watched as he played the bars again, but found myself distracted by the feel of his chest pressed against my back and his breath on my neck.

"Did you get that?" he murmured as his lips brushed against the side of my neck.

"No," I sighed with my hands in my lap." Too many distractions."

"Hmm. I can play it, and I am being distracted as well." His lips moved across to the other side of my neck. Now he was just being unfair.

"Oh, you can play this whole piece while being distracted, can you?" I challenged him while I leaned back against him. His hand moved up to caress my throat.

"Sure," he said, as his hand moved along my shoulders.

"Sure enough to bet laundry duty?"

"You're on." He chuckled against me.

I stood up and turned around, trapped between his arms. "Then you have to give me some room."

"Alright," he sighed as he moved his arms away and I sidestepped to the side of the piano. He eyed me for a moment, wondering what my next move was.

"Go ahead," I beckoned him. "Get started."

He smiled and started playing. I knew this piece was about nine minutes long, so I had enough time to work on him.

I turned my back to him but glanced over my shoulder. He was watching me, without even a look to his hands, and yet the music flowed effortlessly and flawlessly.

I undid the top two buttons of my shirt, and then turned to face him. I let my eyes smolder as I stared into his. My hands continued down the line of buttons on my shirt.

"I think I'm going to like this," he said grinning, as his hands continued across the keys.

I parted my unbuttoned shirt slightly by running my fingers down my chest. I knew he'd get a peek at the lacy blue bra I was wearing underneath. I looked at him from beneath my eyebrows and moistened my lips. I was going to play this to the hilt.

His smile faded as his gaze traveled with my fingers. He swallowed while his eyes traveled up and down my body. Still the music came impeccably.

His eyes never strayed to his hands as he watched me turn away again to shrug my shirt off one shoulder. I threw back my head, so that my hair rippled across my back. I shrugged the shirt the rest of the way off and faced him again, my arms crossed over my chest. Slowly I moved my hands across my breasts, down my belly to my low slung jeans.

This time there was almost a slip in the notes and Edward had to give the piano a glance before he returned his gaze to where my hands were slowing unzipping my jeans. "I should always practice this way," he said approvingly.

I moved to the end of the piano so that the instrument blocked his view of me and bent down to pull my jeans off. I came back up into view with my jeans dangling from my finger. I saw Edward lean sideways so that he could see my bare legs under the piano. He came back up with a wide grin. Still his hands moved across the keys flawlessly.

I dropped the jeans and raised my hands above my head. I did pirouettes until I stood beside the piano bench. His eyes traveled hungrily over me, and he swallowed again as I posed there in my lacy bra and panties. I was glad I had worn the blue set, his favorites.

I draped myself over the edge of the piano almost sitting on the keyboard and leaning back so that my chest arched upwards. I let my head fall back, curving my neck so that my hair brushed the soundboard. Posing like a centerfold, I stretched my legs into a long line. With his vampire speed, he moved his right hand to stroke my breast, and then returned to his playing. He fit these lightning feather touches in between the demands of his playing, which continued without missing a beat.

I stood up, and approached him. Staring into his eyes, I trailed my hand across the piano and let my fingers walk up his arm. "Now you are playing unfair," he murmured, but still the music flowed from beneath his hands.

"Oh, I've just started," I whispered into his ear as I yanked the back of his shirt from his jeans. I let my hands crawl underneath his shirt and then around his back. I felt his muscles shiver as my hands caressed his smooth warm skin. I placed my nearly naked body against his back and brought my arms up under his. I started unbuttoning his shirt. He held his arms out of the way to assist me, yet he still played on.

_Well, alright then_. I stepped away from him and unhooked my bra. I slid it down my arms and then slowly dangled it in front of his face from behind him before letting it drop in his lap. I grabbed the back hem of his shirt and slowly dragged it up his chest as I let just the tips of my breast drag against his now exposed back. "Now, you are in trouble," he murmured as I started kissing his neck.

I licked his ear and that's when he missed a note. "Oh, so who's in trouble?" I snickered into his ear. I pulled his head back slightly so his throat was exposed. As he eyed me, I pulled to his head to my chest and held it there against my breasts. I leaned one knee on the bench and pressed my body against his shoulder and arm. The music slowed almost infinitesimally, but still his fingers flew.

I stepped back and slid my panties down my legs. I dangled the panties in front of him and giggling, draped them on his head. He leaned forward so that they fell into his lap and suddenly in a burst of incredible speed, played the last 48 bars of music in the time it took to draw a breath.

"No fair!" I cried, as he spun around and grabbed me by the waist.

Seated on the piano bench, he held me against him as I stood between his legs. "Yes, you were completely unfair," he mumbled with his face pressed against my belly, while his hands stroked my back.

I stroked his head, and he lifted his face. I could see how much my 'striptease' had excited and pleased him, as his eyes filled with desire. I took his face between my hands to give him a slow deep kiss, teasing his lips with my tongue. He swept my legs from beneath me with one arm and catching me with the other, we sank gently to the floor.

***

The next morning I was headed toward Billy's in Edward's Volvo. It was my favorite car to drive around town because it was the least conspicuous. I stopped at Pierce's Mobil to gas up. The pump's card reader was broken so I went inside the old building to pay. While I was waiting for my card to be approved, my eyes wandered over the tabloids displayed by the counter.

'Brad And Angelina Having Quintuplets' _Geez, would the media leave those people alone, already_. 'Vampire Coven Found in Atlanta' _Probably some Goths found in their parents' basement. _That's when I saw the picture. Obviously, someone had photo-shopped the picture, but that was clearly Peter and Charlotte in the picture below the headline. "I'll take this, too" I told the attendant, my mind racing.

Out in the Volvo, I tore the paper open to read the article. There was another close-up of Peter. Someone had drawn fangs on the picture, it was just ridiculous looking. The article said that a coven had been found by an elite federal task force, in an, "X-files type operation. After a tremendous battle, the federal forces were victorious, but not before the entire building had gone up in flames." The article ended with a bunch of drivel about vampires.

I called Edward on my cell phone. "Can you get a hold of Peter and Charlotte? I've just seen something that's concerning me."

"Well," he said, "their number is probably around here somewhere. I'm sure Jasper's got it, but of course, he's not here now."

"Please, give them a call as soon as you can and see if they're ok."

"Why, Bella? Is everything alright?" His voice started thickening, and I could tell he was starting to worry.

"Yes, I'm fine. I'll show you when I get home. I'm on my way to Billy's now. Just check in on them, ok?"

"Alright," he said slowly. We said our goodbyes and I snapped the cell phone shut. _An elite federal task force? That sounded like a spy novel, for goodness sake. X-files, indeed_.

There was no car outside of Billy's, but Billy greeted me at the door as I walked up, his wheelchair balanced on the jamb.

"Hey, Bella," he said as he held the door open. "Come on in." His smile was genuine and his eyes crinkled at the corners. I noticed there was more gray in his hair than I remembered. It made me realize that while I and the Cullens were perpetually ageless, time hadn't stopped for everybody. Suddenly, Billy looked so fragile and vulnerable.

"Hey, Billy." The house was small enough that I could see the kitchen table laden with vegetables.

Billy followed my gaze and said, "Just doing some freezing. Embry's mom brings me a bunch of stuff from their garden each year."

He wheeled back to the table and started snapping beans. "So what brings you out here? Jacob ok?" He was curious but guarded. I didn't come out here without Charlie often.

"Jacob's fine. Heard from them yesterday morning. They were almost in Denali. They were calling before they lost cell phone service." I pulled up the seat across from him and sat down.

"I would guess it's pretty spotty out that far." He dumped the beans in a bowl before grabbing another bunch.

"Oh yeah. You have to climb the hill behind their house before you get reception. Pretty area though. They'll have a good time."

"So, something on your mind? I'm betting you didn't come here to watch me snap beans." His eyes searched my face.

"Charlie told me that there's been some trouble at the Elders' meetings. That there was some kind of protest against Jacob."

Billy's hands stilled. "What did he tell you?"

"Well not too much beyond that. And that Sam was having trouble with a group of kids. I was surprised that Jacob hadn't said anything."

"Jacob hasn't been at an Elders' meeting for some time now." There was conflict on his face as if he wasn't sure how much he could tell me. He wheeled over to the counter and started the water running.

"Is he in some kind of trouble?"

"No, not trouble." His face was serious as he looked at me. "But there's a faction of the tribe that has some strong objections to the kind of friends he has."

Suddenly I had to swallow. "Meaning _my_ kind of friends."

"Yes." He sighed and turned back to the counter. "You have to realize that our traditions tell us that the whole reason for the shape shifters is to protect against vampires. There are some hotheads who feel Jacob is betraying the tribe by his friendship with you. They refuse to accept the imprinting on Renesmee." His voice held a note of bitterness in it.

I was speechless for a moment. Then my brain kicked into gear. "What do the elders say?"

"They understand the difference between your group and others of your kind. But you have to realize how frightening it was to have the kind of gathering of vampires we saw a few years back." He moved back to the table and meet my eyes "A group of some of the youngest wolves want to break off of Sam's pack and form their own pack. They call themselves the West End pack. They aren't listening to the elders."

"Is the treaty in danger?" I whispered. _Please, no, I don't think I could stand to see my family and friends fighting each other._

"Not by the elders. But this group of young-bloods is a pretty fanatical bunch. No one knows what they're up to. The whole group of them disappeared two weeks ago." His black eyes watched my face. "Tell your family that we're watching for the West End pack, and we won't allow them to move against your family. I would discourage any visitors, though. They would likely move against any others of your kind if they were found wandering about."

Suddenly I was glad Nessie was in Alaska, safe from any kind of pack turmoil. "Sure. I'll tell them."

"Young men, testosterone and power are a dangerous mix," Billy said, shaking his head.

"Is Jacob in any danger from them?"

Billy suddenly looked ten years older. Worry and stress lined his face. "I would like to say 'no', Bella. The truth is they're very young and extremist, and have no one wiser holding them back. I've tried to talk to Jacob, but you know him…"

_Yes, I knew Jacob._

We talked for a few minutes more about Charlie and Nessie and then said goodbye. Back at the house, Edward was waiting for me. He hadn't been able to get Peter or Charlotte on the phone, but had left several messages at the numbers he found for them. I showed him the paper I had bought and his eyebrows drew together. "We should show Carlisle this when he gets home," he said.

Emmett came in as I was relating my conversation with Billy. Emmett was dismissive of any idea of a threat from "some teenage mutants" as he called them, but Edward immediately understood what Billy must be feeling. "It must be hard for Billy to feel he has to stand up for Jacob against the tribe."

"Well, its not the whole tribe," I said. "But I think Billy is worried enough about it to say something to us, and he isn't one to, well, cry wolf."

"Oh, that was bad, sis," Emmett said, shaking his head at my unintentional pun. "Oh, by the way, you wouldn't happen to know who these belong to?" His face spread in a wicked smile as he fished something blue and lacy from a pocket and dangled it on a finger. I immediately recognized it as my misplaced panties and snatched them away before he could torment me with them any longer.

"Thank you, Emmett; we've been looking for those," Edward said in a polite fashion as his arm snaked around my waist.

"Someone needs to be more mindful about where she disrobes," Emmett leered at me before laughing at my chagrin. His chuckles trailed behind him as he left the room.

I balled the panties in my fist, determined to continue the conversation. "We need to take Jacob with us when we move east," I said to Edward. This was our fault. We needed to keep him out of harm's way.

"Bella, we've already invited him. He's torn. He can't make up his mind whether he wants to stay or go." Edward's voice was gentle, but I knew Edward felt that it was best for Jacob to stay.

We'd had this discussion before. Could Jacob leave his family, his whole community, his pack behind? For what? To hang with a bunch of vampires, for chrissakes? He loved Renesmee, yes, but she was rapidly outgrowing the need for a protector and playmate.

I didn't want to think about their relationship changing. We didn't know how imprinted werewolves handled the transition from protector to, well, something more. The only other case we'd heard about where there was a large age difference was Claire and Quil, and she was still in elementary school.

I was very conflicted about this situation. I loved Jacob like a brother, but the thought of him seeing Nessie in any other way than like an uncle made me start to squirm. _"Not my daughter!'_ I wanted to yell_. 'Let her grow up! We've had such a brief childhood with her, don't rush this.' _

Edward had agreed to let Jacob accompany Renesmee and Rosalie on this trip, because he was hoping it would be their goodbye before we moved east. Our family had to move, there was no choice. Edward thought the move, without Jacob, could be a chance for Renesmee mature, to expand her horizons and see some other options. Jacob could come visit, and after some time, once Renesmee was fully grown, then perhaps they could let a different kind of relationship develop.

In other words, Edward, like so many other fathers before him, was completely clueless when it came to his daughter.

A/N I'm hoping you're liking this but I won't know unless you tell me. Please review!


	3. Chapter 3 A Visit with Vincenzo

**Alice**

I loved flying into Rome's Fiumicino Airport. What a crazy chaotic place. We got into Rome just as the sun was setting and the city began to sparkle as the lights came on. Jasper rented us a car, a sleek roadster, and we piled into it to hit several salons that Esme wanted to visit. From there, we would drive north to visit Florence, where there was a custom cabinetmaker Esme adored, and then up to the designer fashion houses of Milan and eventually on to Paris.

Esme found several items she liked at the salons and we made arrangements to have the sideboard, dining room set and four poster bed shipped to the states. It was past midnight when we left the city behind us and pulled onto the autostrada.

We chatted merrily as the car sped through the night, our spirits high. Jaz was driving and the windows were open to the warm night. I sat in the back seat where I was studying several glossy magazines I'd picked up at the airport. We'd been traveling several hours when we passed the turn-off to Valdichiana/Bettolle/Sinaluga.

I knew that turn off. It led to Volterra. The last time I had been in Italy, it had been me and Bella in a stolen car racing to stop Edward from bringing the wrath of the Volturi upon himself. That was a close call. We had, all of us, just barely escaped with our freedom.

Our last brush with the Volturi had been just as nerve racking. Our stand-off with them in Forks had been terrifying and uncertain. With the help of our witnesses, and Bella's unexpected gifts, we had been able to convince the Volturi to leave Forks. They reluctantly left without getting what they had come for, namely the special abilities of myself and other family members. I had kept an eye on possible futures for the Volturi since then and had been heartened to see the infighting and petty bickering happening within their ranks. My guess was that the more disruption there was from within, the less likely they would be to carry that disruption without.

This seemed a good time to check in on that situation, so I unfocused my eyes and let my mind wander into that odd state where time became unfixed and space an unrelated distraction.

I couldn't understand what I saw. The halls of the Volturi castle stood empty and ruined, choked with wreckage and collapse. The audience hall and chamber where we had meet Aro and the others were in shambles, with parts of the roof open to the sky, large stones littering the floor. The anteroom where Edward, Bella and I had waited after our audience was a charred mess, the beautiful chandeliers and ornate furniture now just blackened lumps.

Where were the Volturi? There was no sign of anyone at all. The Volturi had been a constant in the vampire world for thousands of years. How could they just disappear? They were the most powerful group of vampires the world had ever seen, with threatening and incredible talents. What could cause this kind of destruction to this place, the most sacred of their sanctuaries?

"I don't believe it," I whispered. "It doesn't make any sense."

"What is it, Alice?" Jasper asked concerned. His eyes bored into mine from the rearview mirror.

"Jasper, stop the car! We have to turn around. We have to go to Volterra." I leaned over the front seat.

Esme's face was drawn and frightened. She wanted to give Volterra a wide berth. "Volterra! Alice, what did you see?"

"The Volturi are gone. Their castle is a ruined mess. Something has happened to them, all of them."

Esme and Jasper looked at each other in disbelief. I couldn't have gotten a more stunned reaction if I'd said that the moon had left its place in the sky.

"Gone?" Esme asked.

"All of them?" Jasper glanced at me before pulling the car over to the shoulder of the road.

"It's a ruin, everything is charred and burnt. There's wreckage everywhere. Something incredibly big has happened. We have to go see!" I was insistent.

Esme was against the idea. "Do we really need to risk walking into that lions' den? Do you think it was the Romanians?" Esme referred to a coven of Eastern bloc vampires that had hungered for hundreds of years for the fall of the Volturi.

I let my mind wander again. I could see the charred stones and the blackened hallways. They were now, in the immediate future. There was nothing I could see that would lead me to how they became that way. "I can't see how it happened, but I know that's what we'll find."

Jasper had stopped the car and turned to face me. "Alice, I don't want to go strolling into an ambush. Is there any danger for us there? Would we be safe going?"

I closed my eyes again to try to concentrate. The past was closed to me. Looking forward into the future, that I could see. I saw Jasper and me leaving the castle, our heads together, discussing what we had seen. We were strolling through the Piazza without hurry.

"We'll be fine. We find some information," I answered.

Jasper and Esme still looked doubtful.

I needed to convince them. "Listen, whatever has destroyed the Volturi may not stop there. We need to find out whom or what could bring them down."

At that, Jasper was convinced that we needed the information on what this possible new enemy could be. It took us longer to bring Esme around and then even longer to persuade her that one of us should stay behind in case something unexpected did crop up. She reluctantly allowed herself to be swayed by Jasper's military logic.

We arrived in Volterra a few hours later. We found a hotel and booked a double suite. As we were paying cash in advance, the clerk was happy to rent us a room, even in the middle of the night. We spent the remaining hours before dawn discussing possible theories and mulling precautions as the sky gradually lightened.

We were lucky; the morning forecast was for clouds with showers. Jasper and I grabbed an umbrella at the hotel gift shop and headed out into the drizzle. The streets were fairly empty as we made our way over to the large stone building that had once been the home of the Volturi. The boarded up windows and doorway made it look like it had been abandoned for decades.

I collared a passing deliveryman wheeling a handcart and in Italian, asked him what happened. I showed him a hundred lira note. He answered with much enthusiasm, his arms gesturing wildly. I asked him a few questions, before thanking him. He touched the visor of his cap and continued down the street.

"What did he say? I didn't catch all of that." Jasper asked me. His Italian wasn't quite as fluent as mine.

"He says several weeks ago, there was a huge fire. The people are saying it must have been a gas explosion, the whole ground was shaking. It was in the middle of the night and the flames shot halfway up the sky. The firemen came, but they found no one inside. Some say they saw burning figures run from the building but no one hurt was found. Not everyone is unhappy to see the destruction. The 'businessmen' here were unpopular."

Jasper eyed the building. I followed him as he turned the corner where a side of the building faced the alley. Some of the windows on the second floor had not been boarded over. He glanced around to make sure we were unwatched and with the grace of a cougar sprang from the ground to cling to the stone façade near the second story window. He punched a fist through the glass and reached into the window latch. The window swung open and he flipped effortlessly through it. A moment later, his honey-colored head popped up. He gestured from the open window. "Come on," he whispered.

I jumped as well, landing neatly on the floor. The room we were in was remarkable for being so unremarkable. With slate blue carpeting and paneled walls, it resembled an executive office like one could see in any building in the world. The pictures on the wall were askew and the chair behind the desk was overturned, but otherwise the room looked amazingly normal.

The smell, however, was overpowering. The rank smell of burnt fabric and metal saturated the room. Jasper cautiously opened the door and the smell grew stronger.

We started down the hall, Jasper leading the way. This part of the castle had obviously been modernized and the tile floors and plaster walls were intact. We turned the corner to where a huge char mark blackened the walls and floor.

Jasper cautiously moved around it. "This isn't a random fire. There was a fight."

I reached for his hand. It was frightening to see the destruction, and to wonder what caused it. "The audience hall was upstairs," I whispered. We found a stairwell and went up. As we penetrated deeper into the castle, the age of the building started to show as tile and plaster gave way to stone corridors. The audience hall was just as I had seen in my vision, char marks everywhere and holes punched through the roof. We descended stairs again and came to the anteroom where Bella, Edward and I had waited. The smell was the worst there as the carpet and walls were completely burned. Gianna's desk was an unrecognizable lump.

We pushed deeper into the castle, no closer to any answers than when we first entered. It was obvious there had been many fires scattered throughout the building. The evidence of vampyric struggles was obvious as well, in the blasted stone walls and broken doors. But who had been fighting? And against whom? More importantly, who had won?

We were in the oldest, darkest portion of the castle, where the rooms looked to be residential. The stone corridors were dark and damp, the sconces on the wall bent into unrecognizable shapes. I shivered at the unreality of the place. Suddenly Jasper froze. I did likewise. We both were motionless, listening to the faint sounds of the vermin scurrying through the walls.

"Someone is near," Jasper whispered, almost soundlessly. "I feel sadness, unbearable sadness." His dark golden eyes, suddenly looking old and haunted, gestured to an open door down the corridor from us.

We crept down the hall silently. The open door hung crazily askew on its hinges. The room inside was fairly unmarked by fire, but the heavy, dark furniture was tossed around like an untidy child's playthings. In the far corner, there was a scorched black cloak tossed into a pile.

Jasper stilled me with his hand while he cautiously crossed the room to the cloak. There came a rasping sound from the cloak. I clutched my neck in horror as I realized something was still alive in there, in a bundle much too small for such a thing.

Jasper flipped a corner of the cloak over and hissed in surprise. The ruined face of Marcus, one of the oldest vampires in the world, stared back at him with one eye.

One half of his head was a devastated wreck. Only one patch of his once lustrous black hair hung lankly from his ruined skull. His right arm and shoulder had been torn away and only his torso was intact, his legs ripped away. A jagged tear ran from his right rib cage down to his left hip where venom glistened on the remains of his body. His head turned towards me when I gasped at the sight.

"Marcus? Is that you?" I barely got the words out of my mouth.

"Si," he answered faintly.

"What happened?" I asked in Italian.

"Traitors," he sighed, almost unintelligible through the wreckage of his mouth

"I can't believe what I see," I whispered.

He closed his eye in pain. "Caius," he mumbled. Jasper and I exchanged a startled glance. "Caius came to me, and told me it had been Aro." Marcus opened his single eye and it was burning with fierceness. "Aro, all these years pretending to be my brother. It was Aro that murdered my Didyme. His own sister and my wife. He killed her. I challenged Aro then, in the hall. For once, Renata was not there."

He took a ragged breath. "We started struggling. We didn't hear the fight, until the last of the guard broke into the hall. Caius had turned Jane and Alec. The three of them had planned this rebellion. They kept it from me by never appearing together."

"Marcus, where are the Volturi? Where is everyone?"

"Gone," he murmured. "There was a new face. She threw fire and burnt them where they stood, trapped by Jane and Alec. Aro's own, turned against him." His devastated face twisted as fresh pain shot through him. "Only Felix, still loyal. He threw himself in front of the fire. For what?"

Jasper crouched down by Marcus. He'd followed enough of the conversation to ask "Where is Caius now?"

"I don't know," Marcus trailed off in English. Suddenly his only arm moved and his hand grabbed Jasper by the front of his shirt. I jumped back three feet, startled.

"You must find him. He has terrible plans. None of you are safe." He groaned and his eye closed as he released Jasper's shirt.

Jasper stood up and faced me, his face a despairing wreck and his eyes burning as Marcus' emotions washed over him. "Alice, we could all be in danger," he whispered.

"No, don't leave me here!" Marcus cried out. "Please, I beg you, finish what they started. The pain is too much and I stopped caring to live centuries ago." His eye flickered from me to Jasper, pleading.

He wanted to die? He'd lived for three thousand years. To kill something that old would be like taking a sledgehammer to an ancient Greek statue or taking down the pyramids. But then I remembered how I'd seen him in Forks, his apathy plain in every movement. Now he'd been betrayed by everyone he'd ever trusted.

Jasper looked around the room. "Alice, set the chair right." He gestured toward an overstuffed wing chair that was overturned by the fireplace.

I did as he said while he gathered the remains of the cloak around Marcus' devastated body and set him gently in the chair. Suddenly, I felt a wave of peace and calm wash over me, Jasper's gift to Marcus.

Marcus kept his eyes closed as Jasper set him down. "Grazi," he whispered softly.

Jasper grabbed the box of fireplace matches that sat on the mantel and struck one. He flicked his wrist and the chair was on fire. With a large whoosh, it burst into flame.

I stared, horrified. Jasper strode across the room to me and with his arms around my shoulders, led me back out into the hall.

"Oh, God, Jasper," I cried softly. If I could have wept, I would have done so then. As it was, I could only wrap my arms around him and press my face into his chest.

He held me, and stroked my hair, murmuring until his gift made me reclaim my equilibrium. He pulled back to assess my face and said, "We need to leave, Alice. We have to go warn the others. We shouldn't make Esme worry."

"Of course," I said, pulling myself together. "Last time we were here, we left through the lobby. This way."

I led him down to the lobby, but there was no easy exit there. The city streets had started to fill with the morning traffic and it wouldn't be wise to let anyone catch us leaving the building through the boarded up first floor doors and windows. However, we did get cell phone reception this close to the front of the building, so we called Esme to let her know we would be back at the hotel soon. The relief in her voice was palpable and she urged us to hurry back with any news. We went down a series of hallways that finally led through a gleaming kitchen to a back exit. It led out to an alley with trashcans, but was near the plaza.

Jasper held the door for me, when he stopped and raised his nose into the air. "Do you smell that?" he asked me.

I tasted the air. The garbage was certainly ripe, but there was a very faint undertone of something very familiar, but I couldn't recall it.

"Smells like werewolf," he said, "Quileute."

"That can't be right. What would they be doing here?" Pacific coast shape shifters, here in Italy? That didn't make any sense.

"That is surprising." Jasper's face was grim. "This whole situation is making me nervous. We need to get back."

We headed back to the hotel, trying to keep a human pace. We made it back, just ahead of the sunshine that broke through the clouds.

Esme was horrified as we related our conversation with Marcus. "Caius did this?" she asked incredulously.

Jasper was trying to make the puzzle pieces fit together. "Do you remember when they came to Forks, how Aro was obviously the one calling the shots? When Aro backed down, Caius was seething, frustrated and bitter. I am guessing this rebellion has been centuries in the making."

Esme was nodding. "Carlisle had described Caius to me as a petty dictator, less married to the idea of justice than any of them. Power happy, he said."

Jasper's face was grim. "Marcus said that Jane and Alec were with Caius. He also said there was a new face, like a fire starter. They would be a formidable enemy."

"Caius has no conscience." Esme rose from her seat to stare out the window. The reflected sun set her skin to glimmering. "With the power of Jane and Alec to back him up, he will be ruthless. He won't be concerned about following any Volturi morality." She sighed and turned back to us. "What was it he said about Didyme?"

Marcus' ruined face hung in front of my eyes. I shook my head to clear it. "He said that Caius told him Aro had killed her. That's when Marcus challenged Aro."

"Yes," Esme murmured, "I imagine he would. Didyme was Marcus' wife and Aro's sister. It was never known how she died."

"Why would Aro kill his own sister?" I wondered.

"Power," Esme said. "The whole family was power hungry. I heard Didyme died about the time that she and Marcus were planning to start their own coven. Perhaps Aro felt Marcus wouldn't leave without Didyme to accompany him."

"All those wasted lives," I said, shaking my head. "I don't know whether to be happy the Volturi are gone, or whether I wish they were still here."

Jasper's face was somber. "I think that whatever has risen to take the Volturi's place will have us longing for their return."

We spent the remainder of the day in the hotel room, waiting out the sun and discussing what we had seen. Esme called Carlisle, who was as shocked by the turn of events as we had been. He urged us to come home as soon as possible.

Jasper was pacing with anxiety and impatience. "I want to go back there, after the sun sets," Jasper said, meaning the castle. "It's our best chance of finding more about Caius, what he's planning and where he's gone. Still no luck, Alice?"

"No," I said, frustrated and irritable. My vision was being no help; I couldn't see Caius at all. I felt like I had been blinded. It was making me angry, and a little scared. It also pointed out how dependent I had become on using my abilities to see into the future. I stared at the television someone had turned on earlier, where the news was playing, but the sound was off.

Jasper was saying, "This time I want to check the offices, we may find more information. We know that Caius has Alec, Jane and at least one other. Who else do you think may have joined them?"

Esme took a breath to answer when I dove across the room, going for the television remote. I grabbed it and in a single movement, rolled and pointed the remote to turn the volume up. There on the screen, side by side, were grainy photos of Jasper's and my faces. The angle of our faces made me think the camera had been above us, and the pictures were blurry as if they hadn't been taken in enough light. I looked at the television, then back at Jasper and myself. Those pictures were taken today; we were wearing the same clothes.

The newscaster was saying "suspected terrorists who may have been involved in the destruction of Castle Volterra last week. Anyone with information on their whereabouts should contact Interpol at the number on the bottom of your screen."

"Those pictures were taken today," Jasper said, his face grim. I nodded. "In the lobby, of the castle, there must have been a camera."

A vision flashed before my eyes. "We have to leave now, right now!" I could hear my voice rising. I could see the front desk manager and several uniformed policemen, crowded together, watching the floor numbers flash. "They're coming up the elevator!"

Jasper was instantly at the door, checking the corridor. Esme grabbed her purse and we were flying down the hall into the stairwell. We ran so fast, the maid bending over her laundry cart wasn't even aware that we passed, except for the sudden puff of wind. We were at the ground floor in seconds. Jasper opened the stairwell door and cautiously peered about. He gestured with his head to follow him.

To our left we could see the hall opening to the lobby. We went right, walking normally, following a young man in a white jacket as he whistled softly to himself, pushing a room service cart of dirty dishes. We followed him down several corridors until we saw a door leading to the street. Out we went. The sun was low in the sky and the alley was full of shadow. We started down the street, walking quickly, when at the far corner, we saw a marked police car go by. Jasper pulled us into a doorway.

"The car is that way?" Esme asked. Jasper nodded, his eyes scoping the street.

"Give me the keys," Esme said. "They don't have my picture."

Jasper searched her face for a moment before dropping the keys in her hand. Esme started down the street, her purse dangling from her arm, her hair and hips swinging. She looked very much like a tourist with no more on her mind then the nearest trattoria.

A minute later, she pulled up next to us in the car. We jumped in the doors and Esme gunned the accelerator.

"How did they get our pictures so fast? Its like they were waiting for us." I turned to look at Jasper in the back seat as Esme took a corner on two wheels.

"Obviously, the authorities put up a camera looking for intruders in the castle. They knew somebody would come," Jasper said. "But terrorists? Is that how the battle was explained to the townspeople?"

"How will we get home?" Esme asked. "They'll have those pictures at every airport and border crossing." Even though we were innocent, there was no way we could let the authorities question us. Our supernatural nature would be apparent immediately, as soon as they touched us.

Jasper was thinking out loud. "Caius is frustrated and chafing under Aro's more moderate rule. He turns the most powerful vampire loyalties to him, then knowing Marcus would erupt, tells Marcus that it was Aro who killed his wife. Marcus plays right into his hands, and a battle ensues. Many are killed. Caius abandons the castle, taking the winning side with him and goes out to do… what?"

I turned back to Jasper, my eyes wide. "Remember what Marcus said? We're all in danger."

"We need to contact the other covens, like Siobhan's and Gerard's." Esme's concern shone on her face. "They should know about this. Maybe they have some news. At the very least, they need to be warned about Caius."

"Where are we headed, by the way?" I asked Esme as the city walls flashed by us.

"Well, north I guess," Esme said. She grimaced. "I guess the visit to Vincenzo is out now."

"Vincenzo the cabinetmaker?" I asked.

"Yes. Unless…" Esme trailed off.

"Unless?" Jasper asked from the back seat.

Esme turned to look at me, her eyes wide and shiny. "I have an idea."

I used my future vision to see where we would be. "Esme, of course! That's too funny."

Jasper looked at me, perplexed. "Oh, Jaz," I snickered, "you're going to love this. You're going home in comfort. Lestat's gonna have nothing on you!"

We arrived in Florence not long after sunset. A quick stop into a dress shop and we were on our way. Esme got out of the car and turned to face me. "How do I look?" she said smiling, doing a pirouette for us.

She looked absolutely perfect for the grieving daughter part she was going to play. We'd put her in a long-sleeved black dress that nipped in at the waist and showed an ample amount of cleavage. It flared out gently at the hem which hit her just at the knee. She had on sheer black stockings and stiletto heels. Black leather gloves and a wide brimmed black hat with a veil gave her an air of mystery. She looked like a very sexy widow ala Sophia Loren. Vincenzo didn't stand a chance.

"Absolutely perfect," I said and I meant it. "Go get 'em, tiger."

She smiled, shrugged her shoulders, and gave the air a little claw swipe before disappearing around the corner to enter Vincenzo's custom-made furniture store. It seems Vincenzo had a side business that Esme was taking advantage of.

A minute passed. I looked at Jasper. "I can't stand it. I have to listen."

We got out of the car and strolled over to the shop, leaning against the wall just outside the door. Jasper put his arms around me, and to passing eyes we were just a pair of lovers, taking a moment to profess our love. "Let me take advantage of this opportunity," he said as he nibbled my earlobe.

"Jasper!" I giggled. He knew I was ticklish there. "I'm trying to listen!" I whispered. Still, I stretched my neck so his silky lips could kiss my jaw line.

I heard Esme saying, "…it was a terrible accident, both of them gone like that." The sound of sniffling floated out on the air. Oh, Esme was playing this to the hilt. I heard Vincenzo and the young man with him just about falling over themselves to get her a hanky.

"Oh, you poor thing." Vincenzo's deep voice was full of sympathy. "Both parents gone in a flash."

"Oh," Esme wailed. "Vincenzo, you must help me."

"Of course, senora," he said. "Simply say how I can help and it will be done." I could hear his heart beating faster. If I knew Esme, she was flashing a bit of leg about now. I'd bet that wasn't just sympathy Vincenzo was feeling.

"Only your coffins will do. My parents loved Florence, and your work meant so much to them. It would mean so much to me if I could have them buried in at least a small part of Florence. I'm flying back tonight. Do you think we could ship them over to the US tonight so they can be there for the funeral?"

Here was the crux of our plan. Would Vincenzo take the bait? I heard a simple "Oh," from Esme. She'd probably dropped her tissue, as an excuse to bend over and flash some cleavage.

Vincenzo was very taken with her. "Of course, we can do that for you. Come out to the workshop, you can pick out the ones you want."

The worker whispered in Vincenzo's ear, "Those were for the Sicilian order."

"Psst," Vincenzo shushed him.

"Oh, Vincenzo, you have no idea what a huge favor you are doing for me," Esme continued as they moved to the back of the store.

Jasper continued holding me close as we leaned against the brick wall. "Esme. What a little minx," he murmured against my throat. "Who knew she had it in her?"

"Oh, don't let that Mom façade fool you," I whispered into his ear. "She can toss bull with the best of them."

Jasper lips moved up to my cheek and hair. "Well, she should be getting an Oscar for today. So, this is how we're getting home?"

"Uh huh," I whispered into his neck. "Once she's decided which ones are best, she will distract them, we'll zip into the coffins, they'll crate them up and we'll be in the states tomorrow afternoon. Think about it, Jasper! How else should vampires travel?"

Several couples walked by where we were standing, so Jasper took the opportunity to kiss me. "How about we travel together?" he murmured into my ear after they had passed.

"Can't, love. Weight problems. Come on, we should head out around to the back of the store and get into position."

He smiled as he let me pull him along by the hand. "Yes, Alice."

A/N I know, coffins! But I couldn't resist. That Esme, huh? Review!


	4. Chapter 4 The Eagles

A/N One of my favorite chapters. Hey, who said all vamps can cook?

**Renesmee**

Alaska was beautiful. From the top of the gorge, you could see the foothills of the majestic Alaskan range stretched in the background. Tanya and Kate's house sat right above the Nenana River with the entire National Park stretched out in front of them. The lodge-style house sat nestled in a valley, with hills on each side. The river, running below at the foot of the gorge, ran swiftly and we would occasionally see whitewater rafts go by. Those were the only other people we saw, although Jacob said he could smell an occasional hiker on the other side of the river. Other than that, it was miles before the nearest settlement and store.

Tanya and Kate were great hosts. They'd turned Irina's old room into a bedroom for me. It opened onto a second story deck that overlooked the gorge, so each morning I awoke to an incredible view. They had turned an office on the first floor into a place for Jacob to sleep, but Jacob insisted on sleeping outside, presumably in wolf form.

Tanya and Kate were an interesting pair. Kate was petite, slender and so blond her hair was almost white. Put her in a filmy dress, and she could be a fairy queen, like Galadriel in Lord of the Rings. On the other hand, she was grounded and earthy and had what my Uncle Emmett called a dirty laugh. It was low-pitched, throaty and sexy, even if it was just knock-knock jokes you were telling her.

Tanya, on the other, was a strawberry blond, but tall and muscular. She had cheekbones that could cut glass, as Alice would say, and was so stunning that most men had trouble concentrating around her. A Nordic queen, definitely.

_Not like me_, I thought as I looked in the mirror of the bathroom outside my bedroom. Like my father's, my hair was brown with red in it but where his waved gently around his face, my hair was curly bordering on unruly. I used a hair straightener on it to within an inch of its life, whenever I had the time. I had my mother's heart-shaped face and the chocolate brown of her eyes, like the pictures I had seen of her before she was "turned". I was less pale than anyone in my family; that came from being a hybrid. I sighed as I turned from the mirror. I was still a bit gangly looking, but Mom said I'd grow into it. I'd even gotten a bit of a figure over this past year, but I was no goddess, like Kate or Tanya.

I missed Carmen and Eleazar, and wished that they were here. They were traveling in South America, where Carmen came from. Bolivia, I believe. They weren't due back until October and our move to the East Coast would have happened by then.

I heard Rosalie and Kate downstairs, whooping and laughing loudly. They were playing the card game War. They played with four packs of cards and they slapped the cards down so fast, their hands blurred. There was a huge thump, a cracking sound and then peals of laughter. It was likely they'd cracked the table. If this was like my house, they were probably always replacing furniture.

I padded back into my room. The sun had set several hours ago and the waning moon had just risen above the horizon. There would be no moon at all tomorrow night and Kate said we'd take my telescope up the hill behind her house where the viewing would be best.

I looked at the laptop on my bed. My biology text sat next to it. We'd been here for two days and I still hadn't gotten anywhere on my homework for this vacation. I'd pulled them out meaning to get started on my essay on Alaskan flora, but I felt too restless to sit down and dig into them.

I threw on my oversized hoodie, and stepped through the glass doors to the second story deck outside my bedroom. I leaned on the deck railing. Way down below me, the moonlight glinted off the river. It was fairly calm in front of the house here, but just downstream a few hundred yards, the water turned treacherous and only the experienced rafters came this way. I could hear the rapids in the distance, a low constant roar. Jacob was somewhere out there, probably curling up for the night.

The drop from the house to the river below was steep. Across the river, a figure emerged from the forest. Even in the low light, her hair gleamed. It was Tanya, looking almost ghostly in a white jacket and pants. She made an impossible leap across the river, and landed on this side without jarring a stone. I watched as she pulled herself up the stone face of the gorge, quickly and surely. I'd seen squirrels have more trouble climbing trees than she had in scaling the slick and featureless rock wall.

I moved back and sat in the deck chair next to the wall and looked at the moon, letting the night sounds wash over me. I thrust my hands in the front pockets of my sweatshirt and let my head fall back, intending to get my thoughts organized for my essay. Instead, like I had been doing almost constantly since we got here, I thought back to the conversation I'd overheard in the car on the way up here, between Rosalie and Jacob.

My face flushed when I remembered Jacob knew I had started menstruating. The whole family knew, of course. They could smell a drop of blood at 40 paces, there was no way I could hide that kind of thing. My mom sympathized with me, as did my aunts and grandmother, but Dad and my uncles thankfully never mentioned it, although I noticed Jasper tended toward long range hunting about that time of month.

I thought back to how Rosalie had been questioning Jacob on the imprinting thing. Jacob was imprinted on me; that much I knew. What that meant, I used to think I knew. I wasn't so sure anymore, after hearing Jacob and Rosalie's talk. Whenever we were in Forks, Jacob was always there, coming by the cottage, playing video games, taking me out to hunt, basically doing whatever I wanted. I missed him terribly when we were away. He was my best friend, why wouldn't I? He was always playful, gentle when I needed comfort, a keeper of secrets and an ally against the rest of the family when their superior skills and abilities made me feel insecure.

I could run fast, faster than any other humans I had met on playgrounds or in the streets. But as fast as I could run, it was slow motion next to my Dad. I was strong, but everyone in my whole family was stronger and likely to stay that way. As I got older, my skin had softened, so I even got cut sometimes. Carlisle thought it was because I only drank animal blood. My parents always tried to make me realize how special and unique I was, but sometimes it was disheartening to be surrounded by a bunch of 'superheroes'. Sometimes I wished I was a full blown vampire like them so I could match their abilities.

But there were other times, not as many, but a few, that I would see large families together and wished that I was human with brothers and sisters. I'd see a bunch of girls with their heads together, sharing secrets and I'd suddenly acutely feel the need for friends like me or at least my age. That's one reason I was so excited about going to school later this year. My family was wonderful, but I wanted friends. Friends that I made, not just passing playmates on a playground or on a play date that had been set up.

A huge sigh escaped from me. Sometimes I felt like such an outsider, not wholly vampire, not purely human, always straddling both worlds. While I didn't have the invulnerability of my parents, I was better at fitting in with the general population. I could go out no matter what the weather. People didn't unconsciously shy away from me like they did with my family. Jacob said I even smelled better, but that was Jacob.

Jacob was my friend, my confidant, my playmate. His joy, his enthusiasm was contagious whenever he was around. He was mine, my Jacob. So I guessed that meant I was his Renesmee? Had he been waiting for me to grow up? Could he see me as an adult? Did he envision a future of us together as man and wife? My mind was filling with questions, racing along new paths.

I heard the screen door slam on the first floor deck and two sets of faint footsteps on the deck below me.

"So how was Rick?" Kate's voice floated up softly from below.

"Not home." Tanya sounded peeved. "Damn, I could have used the recreation. I was thinking of heading out to Fairbanks to see if I could find Victor."

"That's a long way to drive just for a little male companionship," Kate said.

"A girl's gotta do, what a girl's gotta do," Tanya said lightly. "Come with me?"

"No," Kate said, no sound of regret in her voice. "Rosalie and I are going to cook breakfast for Nessie and Jacob."

Tanya harrumphed. "You, cook?"

Kate laughed, low and throaty. "I know, can you believe it?"

"Speaking of Jacob, did you see that chest?" Tanya said speculatively.

"Tanya! Don't you dare," Kate said, giggling.

"Dare what?" She was all innocence now. "I was just thinking maybe we could do a little howling at the moon together." The two of them snickered a bit.

"H-m-m," Kate said. "I wonder if he does it doggy style." With that, the two of them broke into full giggles. I was getting a bit indignant. Hey, this was my Jacob they were talking about.

"But really, Tanya, Jacob? The smell, ugh." Kate sounded as if she shivered.

"Well, I can hold my nose," Tanya sounded speculative. "You know, he is my type. Tall, big shoulders. Those black eyes are fetching."

"Your type while he's walking around on two legs! And when he's not?" Kate's voice held some disapproval in it.

"Well, then he's not. What's got your panties in a bunch anyway?"

"We don't know if he was one of the wolves that killed Laurent. Doesn't that bother you?" Kate was speaking earnestly.

"Bah," Tanya said dismissively, "Laurent was a pig. He deserved whatever he got." The deck creaked beneath her. "Meanwhile, I'm taking a stroll." Her footsteps led off the deck.

"Be safe, sister." Kate's voice floated affectionately after her. Then softer, "Don't come home covered in fur."

Tanya's laugh wafted back. The screen door creaked again as Kate went inside.

I hoped she didn't find Jacob. No, I hoped she found him and he bit her head off. No, I didn't hope that. I hoped he at least growled at her.

I got up and went inside. The night held no peace for me anymore.

***

The next morning as I came down the stairs, Kate yelled from the kitchen, "Don't come in the kitchen! We want to surprise you!"

"Alright," I yelled back. I could smell bacon and it was making me hungry. I hoped this wouldn't take long. I took a seat in the living room as Jacob came in the front door. He didn't look any different than usual. I wondered if Tanya had found him last night.

He gave me a peck on the cheek. "Good morning."

"Morning," I said, slightly sulky. "Don't go in the kitchen, they're trying to surprise us."

Just then, a banging sound came from the kitchen. "Crap!" I heard Rosalie yell.

Jacob and I looked at each other. He widened his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. That made me smile. He sat down on the sofa next to me.

I heard Rosalie's voice in the kitchen. "Are you sure it's supposed to look like that?"

We heard Kate answer, "Well, its pig so you have to make sure it's thoroughly cooked."

"Now I'm scared," Jacob whispered to me.

I started laughing into my hand and then Kate's voice rang out. "Come and get it!"

We walked into the large eat-in kitchen where the breakfast table was set up with a white tablecloth, crystal goblets and fresh flowers. Rosalie and Kate stood next to it, obviously excited to see our reaction.

"Oh, it's beautiful!" I said. "Thank you so much!" There was a pitcher of orange juice and a fresh fruit salad. Freshly buttered toast was piled on a platter. Then I looked at the plate. Three very black and shriveled pieces of bacon sat on one side next to a pile of runny eggs. There was an unappealing pile of white pasty goop mounded on the other side.

"Yeah, looks great," Jacob said, as he sat down across the table from me, his voice rather flat. Rosalie detected the false note in his voice and her eyes narrowed at us suspiciously, but Kate was beaming.

"Bacon, eggs and grits I remembered from my childhood," Kate was saying. "My grandmother used to cook them for me."

"Well, it looks delicious," Jacob said as he offered me the platter of toast. He winked at me with the eye away from where they could see.

I took a sip of the orange juice to hide my smile. "The fruit salad looks wonderful," I said, looking for something to be truthful about.

"Thanks, it was fun," Kate said as she turned back to the counter. Rosalie eyed us a moment more as Jacob dug into the eggs and goop on his plate and then followed Kate over to the sink.

I stuck with the fruit salad and toast, pushing the other items around so it looked like I'd picked at them. Jacob surprised me by cleaning his plate, even crunching through the black and wizened bacon. He refused seconds though when Kate tried to push them on him.

"Where's Tanya?" I asked Kate as she hovered over Jacob with the pan in her hands, trying to urge more eggs on him. I kept my voice very casual and offhand.

"Oh, she'll be back any moment now. She went into Fairbanks last night to visit a friend," Kate answered. She waved the pan at Jacob. "You're sure?"

"Really, no, I couldn't. Kate, that was wonderful." He patted his belly. "Thank you."

Suddenly I felt better. Tanya went to Fairbanks last night.

Kate beamed at Jacob before turning away. "Will you two be ok by yourselves? Rosalie and I were going to head into town to pick up the mail and some supplies."

"Sure. I'll take Nessie to see the eagles' nest," Jacob said. He stood up and stretched, his hands almost brushing the beams of the ceiling.

I offered to help Rosalie and Kate with the dishes, but they wouldn't hear of it. I gave Rosalie a hug from behind. "Really, thank you for breakfast."

She searched my face for a moment, and then smiled back at me and kissed my forehead.

"You're welcome."

An hour later, Jacob and I were hiking along the top of the gorge. Jacob pointed out a hardly discernible trail leading down the steep embankment. "There's an easy way down to the river from here. The nest is just around the bend."

I followed him as I picked my way carefully among the tree roots and down the steep incline to where the river gurgled below. "I still can't believe you ate that breakfast," I said, grabbing at a tree branch to balance myself.

Jacob stepped sure-footedly down the challenging incline. "Did you see Kate's face? There was no way I was going to hurt her by not eating as much as I could." He held his hand out to help me around a boulder. "Besides, I was scared she was going to shock me."

"Yeah, right." I knew he was joking.

"Hey, I've eaten worse." His hand steadied me as a rock turned beneath my foot.

I stopped and looked at him. "That's right; you've eaten at Charlie's."

With that, he threw his head back and laughed. My grandfather was a notoriously bad cook.

It made me feel good to hear him laugh. It felt good to be the one to make him laugh. Suddenly, I was aware that Jacob's hand held mine. His large, warm hand surrounding mine easily. With his head thrown back like that, the line down his neck to his chest was beautiful and intriguing. His wide shoulders strained at the dark tee shirt he was wearing and its short sleeves cut across his very impressive arms. He wore his jeans slung loose and low on his hips. His skin was the color of Esme's dining room table, a rich burnished brown. On this slope, our heads were even and his white teeth flashed against his dark skin. He wore his shoulder length, straight, black hair in a loose pony tail and a few strands had escaped from it, giving him a casual, masculine look. I couldn't put my finger on it, but he just looked somehow different to me.

My stomach tightened in an uneasy cramp. I felt jittery and eager, but I didn't know why or for what.

"True, very true," he was laughing and shaking his head. He kept my hand as we picked our way down the rest of the embankment to arrive at stony beach. The river was wide at this point, but it narrowed ahead and the cataracts rumbled noisily. He released my hand as we walked down the beach as it came to a bend. We reached the end of the beach, where it started breaking up into boulders and the cataracts were louder.

"There," he said, pointing to the other side of the river. He was pointing to a large bare tree that stood out above the rest of the pines. It was dead and twisted, but taller than the others by a good twenty feet. There was a huge mass of big branches tangled in the middle of it, six feet across and twelve feet long.

"That's a nest?" I asked. I was used to songbird nests, but they were to this what a doghouse was to a three bedroom home.

"The eagles fly south but each year they come back to this nest and add to it." Jacob's face was peaceful. He had his hands on his hips and he smiled down at me. "Cool, huh?"

"Definitely cool," I agreed. Then, from the top of the ridge, an eagle came into view. Riding on the air currents, its wingspan was huge. The ends of its wings brushed the sky like outstretched fingers. Clutching something small in its talons, it slowly circled the tree. Its majestic wings beat slowly before the eagle came to perch on the edge of its nest. It folded its wings unhurriedly and surveyed the area with a fierce glare, before bending to its meal. It tore a long shred from between its talons and flipped its head to allow it to slide down its throat.

It was wild and fierce, untamed and magnificent. Just watching it, I felt my heart expand. "Beautiful," I whispered.

"Beautiful," Jacob breathed even softer. I glanced at him and he was watching me. His eyes were soft and his face thoughtful.

_Is he talking about me?_ I suddenly wondered.

He raised his hand as if he was going to reach out to me but he returned his hand to his hip and quickly glanced away. "They mate for life. Its mate is probably nearby."

I was suddenly tongue-tied, and my cheeks felt hot. We stood watching for a few minutes more, while I wrestled with my sudden inability to find something intelligent to say.

Jacob turned to me. "So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?"

I sighed. "I've got to get started on my essay. Tanya said she'd show me the best place for my telescope tonight."

We started walking back on the beach. "Well, I may go hunting," he said. "Somehow, breakfast wasn't quite enough."

"Caribou?" I asked.

"M-m-m," he said, making a silly face at me. "Lip-smacking good." His eyes got wide and he curled his fingers to reach for me. "Wonder how you'd taste?"

I knew this game. I screeched and he chased me back to the trail.

***

I'd been at the books for several hours, and it was hard going. I felt restless and itchy and I was having trouble concentrating. I'd gone downstairs a half dozen times, to see who was around, to check the refrigerator, to talk with Kate and Tanya who were planning the rafting trip we'd take in a few days. Anything to distract me from just sitting there on my bed with the laptop staring me in the face.

Rosalie was reading in the living room. She watched me come downstairs, for the umpteenth time. "Hitting some snags on that essay?" Her face was sympathetic.

"Yeah," I grumbled.

Kate and Tanya looked up from their table, exchanging glances. Tanya pushed her chair back and stood. "Why don't I take you up the hill? You can check out the telescope view from up there."

"Well, it's not even dark yet," I said, glancing outside. It was late in the afternoon; the shadows were starting to lengthen.

"I know," Tanya said. "But it will be easier to check out the trail and the best place to set up while it's still light." She came and put her arms around my shoulders. "And you look like you need a break."

"Alright," I said, my voice brightening. "I'll go get my case." I bolted up the stairs. I saw Rosalie mouth "Thank you" to Tanya.

"Bring your cell phone," Rosalie called after me. "I'm sure your mom would love to hear from you."

I met Tanya on the deck, the case slung over my shoulder. We climbed the hill on the north side on the house, but it was a fairly easy trail and in a short while we arrived at the crest of the hill. It was a wide grassy area, with huge patches of granite poking through the grass, littered with rocks and boulders.

The view from there was magnificent. I could see the house nestled in the dell below and a good part of the gorge as well. The national park stretched out in front of us fading into the blue foothills of the Alaskan Range.

We scouted the area, found a level place and set up the scope. It was a Vixen refractor style scope I had gotten for my last birthday and it was a beauty. We'd probably get a good view of Mars and Venus, and the Perseid meteor showers were happening now, too, so it would be an exciting night. The nights we could use the telescope were few and far between in Forks, because of the almost constant cloud cover.

Tanya and I took turns viewing the mountains. Tanya was incredibly sharp-eyed and saw the approach of the eagles to their nesting place. With the scope, you felt like you where sitting right next to their nest. You could see the feathers, and twigs that made up the messy inside of the nest.

I was watching the eagles when Tanya suddenly spoke. "The delivery truck is here."

Down in the valley, a large step van was making its way on the winding road to the house.

"I'm going to go help unpack it," Tanya said. "Can you find your way back all right?"

"Sure," I said. The way back was pretty clear cut and the trail was well marked. "I should call my mom any way."

"Okay, then," Tanya said. "Don't be too long, it will be getting dark soon. We'll come back tomorrow night when there's no moon. "

"Sure thing."

She took off in a blur. I spent a few more minutes on the eagles, when a movement down in the gorge caught my attention. Across the river from the beach where I'd stood earlier, a large wolf emerged from the undergrowth. It lifted its nose to the air and smelled the surroundings.

It was Jacob, of course. I'd recognize those russet colored markings anywhere. I brought the telescope around to bear on him. What a magnificent animal he was in this form. He splashed his way across the wide, calm part of the river and gave himself a very dog-like shake. His shape started to shimmer, and he reared up on his back legs. His form quivering, he morphed into human form.

That was fascinating. He'd never changed in front of me. I was surprised it was so quick.

That's when I realized he was naked. I pulled back from the eyepiece of the scope. Part of me knew it was wrong to be spying on him like this. Part of me was curious; I'd never seen a naked man before. Part of me wanted to see Jacob, to watch him unobserved. I stood there for a moment, warring with myself.

The lesser side of me won, and I put my eye back on the eyepiece.

I could see broad shoulders, slender hips, and a burnished brown all over. He bent down to the river and his hair, now loose, hung over his face. He took handfuls of water and splashed his face and chest, rubbing his face and arms. He ran his wet hands through his hair and flipped it back. I wondered what it would feel like to run my hand across that hot, smooth, hard chest.

I felt a blush coming up to my cheeks, but I couldn't stop myself from looking. Watching how gracefully he moved his long, naked, muscular body around the rocky beach was breathtaking. He found a boulder in the waning sun and stretched out on it, his black hair splaying around his head. He stretched his long muscular arms out to his sides, as if to let the sun dry him. His chest and stomach rippled with muscle. His long legs were straight and smooth, joined at his narrow hips. How exquisitely formed he was. How incredibly masculine and strong and vulnerable and a thousand different adjectives I couldn't formulate in my brain. I was mesmerized by him.

I might be young and inexperienced, but I was widely read from Shakespeare to Heinlein, Nabokov to Hemingway. I knew how men and women fit together. I had to admit it to myself, this was not just curiosity that kept me looking though the telescope, it was desire. Suddenly, I was imagining what it would be like to kiss him. How he'd lean over me, and how he'd wrap those long arms and huge hands around me. How he'd smell like woodsmoke and cinnamon, and his lips would be soft and I'd press up against him with my arms wrapped around his neck. How he'd scoop me up in his arms and we'd be alone, in the woods, and then he'd…

_Wait a minute, Nessie. Stop, stop, just stop it._ Was I really ready to go there? Where was I going with this anyway? I couldn't imagine anything worse than confessing these kinds of feelings to Jacob and being turned away, or worse, laughed at. I took one last look at the mental picture of me in Jacob's arms and then tried to slam the door on it.

It took me two minutes to pack my telescope back in its case. It only took ten minutes or so to make it down the path back to the house. I ran like the hounds of hell were snapping at my heels, but I couldn't outrun the mental picture of Jacob and I. It lingered in my memory like the scent of a tantalizing perfume.

I walked in the living room, and just my luck, Jacob had made it there ahead of me. He gave me a big smile as I brushed past him on the way upstairs.

"Hey, Nessie, how was the view?"

"Great," I mumbled, keeping my head down and using my hair to shield my face which felt like it was on fire. "Got to finish my essay," I murmured as I bolted for the stairs to my room.

That was just too embarrassing; to be thinking about somebody like that and then have them show up right in your face. Maybe some other girl could have bluffed her way through a situation like that, but not me, not with these cheeks, blushing at every slight incident.

I dumped my telescope on my bed and walked into the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face. Patting my face down with a towel, I looked in the mirror and addressed myself. "Just be grateful that your father's not here to listen to this."

I sighed as I turned off the bathroom light and walked over to my frigging laptop.

A/N I'm wishing I had a telescope. How about you?


	5. Chapter 5 A Reason For Being

Author's Note: Alright, cue the villains! Of course, they never think they are, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, yada yada. I thought this chapter would be a hard one to write, having finally faced that the story demanded I write this from Jane's POV. Actually, this chapter came quite easily. Who knew megalomania could be so much fun?

**Jane**

"Bloody yanker. Oh excuse me, I meant cocksucker," I snarled.

Caius looked serenely at me. The strobe lights did interesting things to his pale face. He was dressed as usual these days, in a dark tailor-made silk suit, his white shirt open at the neck. He kept his long white hair tied in a low ponytail. A heavy gold chain hung on his neck and obscenely huge rings encircled his fingers. Sharp brim Fedora and dark wraparound sunglasses completed his ensemble. He did not know how much it repelled me. Just a poor imitation of Aristotle Onassis, without the tan.

We sat at the prime table in the exclusive VIP section of the Parisian Batofar lounge. From this table on the balcony you could see all the other tables in this area. On the other side of the railing, the dance floor below was packed with writhing, stinking humanity. The smell of their sweat and generalized lust rose above them in waves. My disgust for the whole situation showed on my face.

"Jane, dear," Caius said soothingly. "I think these are the perfect places for our little meetings. It brings us into the modern age. We can observe our new flocks at their pastimes. And it makes it so convenient to find dinner." He smiled mirthlessly as he put his arm protectively around Mei-An, who sat there stunned and silent. Her eyes were still the deep crimson of a newborn and even though she'd drunk recently, the aroma from the dancing mass below was causing her to tremble.

Across from Mei-An sat Alec, my comrade in so many ways. Next to him sat Demetri, the tracker. Between us, and the others of our group now in Asia, there was enough offensive power to annihilate any vampire or even any fucking coven. But Caius was playing it safe. Damn him! How much longer would he make us wait?

"It's not for dinner that I come to your little tea parties, Caius," I growled.

"Jane, sit down, will you?" The music was throbbing and insanely loud, but I could hear him without trouble.

I took a seat in the low leather settee curved around the table. I brushed a stray hair from the white linen suit I was wearing. I loved this outfit, it had been designed just for me. It was fitted perfectly to accentuate what figure I had as I would forever be lacking in that department. Having been turned at fourteen I never got the opportunity to fully develop as someone like Heidi had. Being so youthful looking had its disadvantages; people often underestimated me. It was one of my few joys in life that I could say that once they knew me, they never underestimated me again.

One thing for which I would forever be grateful to Caius was getting rid of those stinking cloaks. They had been Aro's idea of a 'revered tradition for vampires'. By the whore of Magdalene, I had grown so tired of cloaks, and damp castles and hiding, always hiding. We were the most powerful, dominant predator in the world, and we hid like rabbits in little warrens.

No more! When Caius had begun whispering his plans for insurrection in my ear, I was on board immediately. There had been many times when I had disagreed with Aro's decisions and leadership, but the final straw had been the Cullen affair.

I still grew livid as I remembered withdrawing from the battlefield in America. Walking away from that field was the hardest thing I have ever had to do, all the while that puttana Bella was leering triumphantly. If it hadn't been for Felix's steady hand on my shoulder and my brother Alec whispering into my ear, I would have turned around and taken her apart with my bare hands. Let her try to shield against that, bitch!

The whole group of them reeked of abomination and heresy. Subsisting on the blood of hoofed animals, like some kind of abhorrent leeches; I couldn't understand how they could ever get past the smell. Then there was that pus-like yellow it turned their eyes. Why didn't they just get down on all fours like the cats and dogs they were trying so hard to be?

We were vampires, the dominant life form on this planet. There was nothing that could match us intellectually or physically, so why were the Cullens running around imitating their prey? 'We want to live in peace with humans,' they simpered. I didn't buy it. It's like saying I want to live in peace with slugs and worms. Why would you lower yourself to become something that was so beneath you?

There was a reason vampires were here on earth, a reason I believed with all my heart and soul. It was our duty to take victims randomly, the strong man there, a child over here, then a grandmother. Our given right was to be a bringer of instant, horrific death when there had been no shadow before. To shock the humans, who grew as complacent as sheep wrapped up in their own petty lives. To remind them how fleeting their lives were and to pay attention to their brief existence before it was snuffed out. By reminding humans how momentary and ephemeral their short, tragic lives were, we served a purpose given to us by God. A God whose face I would never see, but as to whose existence I had no doubt. I cherished the role He had given me.

Now was the time to come out of the shadows. To claim the heritage and divine right that was ours. The humans were fucking ruining everything they touched in their unbridled greed and stupidity. It was time to bring in cooler, more rational minds that could see the big picture. We would be installed in the highest corridors of power. Our obvious superiority would be recognized and in time, celebrated.

But first, some pruning had become necessary. Through the unbridled and unregulated creation of new vampires, we had all kinds of perverted monsters running around, example number one-the Cullens. It was time to pare down the vampire ranks so only the purest, most dedicated vampires remained.

Of course, Aro was too weak to see what had to be done. His cowardice in facing what our true nature called for was his biggest failing. Instead, he took the timid, craven road. "Keep the secret," had been his strictest law and everyone in the vampire world had bowed before Volturi morals. What morals? Where was the morality in hiding? Aro held on to the past like a security blanket, cowering in cloaks and castles.

When Caius came to me with his vision, I was skeptical. How could we make any inroads against the throne Aro had erected for himself? Then he showed me a parchment, a confession from a thousand years ago, that Aro had written for some reason lost to time. It detailed how Aro had murdered Didyme, Marcus's long dead wife. "We don't have to rise against Aro," Caius had said cunningly. "Marcus will do it for us."

And then we found Mei-An. Tucked away in the Jiangxi province, among illiterate and superstitious farmers, we found a petite, delicate girl who could command fire. We waited patiently until she was old enough, and then turned her. What a success! Her ability to throw devastating fireballs was impressive. Alec and I took care of the mental battles and there was no vampire that could stand against Mei-An's flames. That would include those Cullen heretics. Mei-An's talent was strictly physical, no mental shield was going to stop it.

I couldn't wait to watch Bella burn.

We had the players at last. It became time to assemble the pieces and to eliminate those guards loyal to Aro. We took Chelsea out first. She had become suspicious of the strengthening ties between Caius, Alec and me. Luring Renata, Aro's personal shield, away from his side took some doing, but we accomplished it by using a sister of hers, now old and decrepit. We were mindful never to appear in Marcus's presence together, lest he sense the relationship change between us. And of course, we avoided Aro's touch completely.

Over a week's time, in ones and twos, the guard was lured away for one reason or another. Caius finally went to Marcus, Aro's confession in hand. All hell broke loose as Marcus learned of Aro's centuries old treachery. Alec and I took Mei-An around the castle and eliminated those who stood against us.

It was inspirational. It was cleansing. Yes, there were faces that I would miss. But sacrifices had to be made. We were remaking the world and if they couldn't accept that, then so be it. A few had escaped; there was still some clean-up work to be done. I was surprised that more hadn't elected to join us.

The Alice problem worried us. The Cullens had a fortune teller who could likely foresee any move we might make against them. That was the reason for our little gathering this evening. Caius had said he'd found a solution.

"Alright, I'm seated. What news do you have?" I was impatient and thirsty. A waitress headed in our direction to take a drink order, but that was not what I was thirsty for. I caught her eye and slowly shook my head slightly. Her eyes widened and she backed away. I focused on her for a moment and she yelped and dropped her tray. That would keep her busy.

Caius removed his sunglasses and leaned forward. "With one fell swoop, I have eliminated our Alice problem and gained some powerful allies." He grinned smugly and looked around the table. Alec was listening, but waiting for me to take the lead on this. Demetri must be in on this news. He sat back and watched our faces. Mei-An kept her eyes on the table in front of her, shuddering every so often.

"Allies?" I was skeptical. "What kind of allies?"

"Werewolves." His grin got wider.

"Werewolves? Caius, have you lost it? Vicious, untrustworthy and treacherous dogs? These are your allies?" I was stunned and angry. Of all creatures, werewolves?

Caius had his hand raised. "You remember the wolves in the clearing when we last met the Cullens? It seems in addition to being shapeshifters, they can block a certain fortuneteller's visions."

"Alice can't see them?" Alec asked, intrigued.

"Not where they are involved. She is blinded to situations in which they appear." Caius fingered the untouched glass in front of him. "With their involvement, we can take the Cullens completely by surprise. I have already taken steps to insure that Alice won't see us coming."

"Why would the werewolves work with us? I thought the Cullens had an exclusive claim on their guard dogs." I knew Caius was deathly afraid of werewolves, apparently he was past it.

Demetri leaned forward. "This is the best part."

Caius smiled at him. "They don't know they are. They think they're working," he started shaking with laughter, "for the U.S. government."

Alec and I looked at each other. This was getting bizarre.

Demetri spoke up. "Not all those wolves are under the Cullens' thumb. Some hate the Cullens as much as we do. Not a few chafe under the enforced treaty the Cullens have with the natives."

Alec's face showed his confusion. "I thought they were like a huge group mind."

Caius shook his head. "With the increase in their numbers, several different packs have formed. We're taking advantage of the malcontents."

"So, how is the U.S. Government involved?" I didn't know if Caius had gone truly mad or if this was a stroke of genius.

"The Department of Homeland Security, to be more precise. Domestic anti-terrorism, to be even more specific." Caius was overwhelmingly pleased with himself, like he had just given us a gift of enormous portions. How had he managed this?

"I have convinced a certain high ranking individual that I could be persuaded to let him join our ranks. Immortality is a bait few humans can resist, especially the powerful." Caius was delighted to reveal the details of his scheme. "In return, he's doing some clean-up work for us, under the guise of fighting terrorism. The werewolves work for him."

"Clean-up work?" I asked.

"Getting rid of nomads, cleaning up after some renegades. The wolves are surprisingly effective against our kind, did you know that?" he asked rhetorically. "We let the wolves do our dirty work for us, eliminating rogues and those we can't persuade to join us. The wolves get what they want, a chance to tear into some vamps, and they think they're being patriotic doing it. However, they end up working for us." Caius sat back and lifted his hands, like he was waiting for the applause to start.

I was still trying to make some sense of it. "So you have revealed our presence to the U. S. Government? I thought we agreed that was later in the plan."

"My contact heads an anti-terrorism unit. I've been stalking him for six months now. It's really been quite fun." Caius' eyes glinted. "I alternate between terrorizing him and feeding him lies. I've made him piss himself twice now." Caius started laughing again. Demetri joined in on the chuckle. He must have seen some of this.

Demetri chimed in. "He has set up a swat team consisting strictly of the wolves. I tell our contact where they need to go for the next attack and off they go, like good dogs. It's all under the guise of fighting terrorists, strictly hush-hush, need to know. A little manufactured evidence goes a long way in today's climate."

I sat back and thought about this. I was impressed, to tell the truth. We got the wolves working for us, without their knowledge, cleaning up undesirables. With their involvement, we could eliminate Alice's foretelling. Our presence was revealed only to one official.

"Nicely done, Caius," I complimented him. "Very nicely done."

He smiled and bowed his head. Smug bastard. It was a nice turn of events though and I hadn't expected something quite so elegant from Caius. One thing still nagged at me. "How sure are you of this contact?"

"Absolutely sure," Caius said complacently. "He lusts after immortality like it was a woman. I've convinced him only I can confer it. Between fearing me whole-heartedly and wanting to be me, the little bureaucrat can't think straight."

I wondered if I could get the name from him, while he was in this expansive mood. "And the name of this bureaucrat?" I tried to ask innocently.

"Ah ah ah," Caius said, waving his finger back and forth. "I think that should remain undisclosed for now."

Cagey old despot. I supposed you don't hang on to power for centuries by being a fool.

"So what is next?" I asked.

"Time to gird our loins, as they say. I want you to take Mei-An to America. A little practice in joint operations. The wolves will provide perimeter control, but I want my best soldiers in there. You don't mind a little wet work?" he asked with eyebrows raised.

"I live for it," I grinned.

He sat back and put his sunglasses on. "Then it's off to Alaska."

A/N-Reviews are much appreciated. Feed your writer. Leave a review.


	6. Chapter 6 Halcyon

**Leah**

My life was crap. Total crap. It'd sucked for a long time, but it had officially become unbearable.

There were a ton of reasons why I left the reservation. 'Left the reservation'. Isn't that what political pundits call it when someone within the party goes off message? When they stop spouting the official line? Well, that was me. I stopped spouting the official line. I was done with the bunch of them. And I literally left the reservation.

I'd had it with the pity I received from my aunts, of which I had many. I had become 'the girl that Sam left'. Within the pack, I was always 'the girl werewolf', tolerated but never included. Jacob, the one person who might have understood me, and at least treated me like an equal, was missing in action. He was too caught up in babysitting a baby vampire, for chrissakes. I'd always thought that if perhaps Jacob hadn't been so enamored by Bella, and now her daughter, that things could have different between us. Even Seth, my brother was in love with those leeches.

When my mother moved in with Charlie, it felt like a betrayal. I couldn't expect her to grieve Dad forever, but, Jesus, the father of the freaking vampire queen? I didn't want anything connecting me to those leeches. I was surrounded by the bloodsuckers, when every cell of my being was telling me that they were dangerous and untrustworthy. That it would only be a matter of time before they showed their true colors.

They hadn't told me that being part of the wolf pack would make me barren. I found out that charming little fact all by myself. Then Sam and Emily had a baby. A perfect, chubby little boy. At every gathering, the perfect happiness radiating off the new family burned a hole in my soul. I needed distance and I needed a lot of it. I left the reservation, driving an old Taurus with three hundred bucks in my pocket, vowing never to come back.

I knew Debbie Burke from school so when her brother, Jason, told me she was living in San Francisco and looking for a roommate, I was there. She had a tiny apartment in a walk-up in SoMa. I got the sleeper sofa in the living room, but was glad to have it. I found a job at a convenience store around the corner, so my life fell into a routine of working the store during the day and hitting the bars with Debbie at night. Since we couldn't afford the cost of mixed drinks, we'd sneak in a bottle of vodka in my purse and then order cokes all night. We'd spike the cokes and spend the night dancing with a string of low quality men. Once in a while I'd find one I liked enough to bring home for a night of sweaty sex, but they were always gone by morning.

It was mid-May when I lost my job. I'd been late too many times; it was just that the hangovers were getting brutal. I pondered my shrinking wallet, and considered the unpleasant possibility of going home. In a true spirit of denial, we decided to make a big night of it and dressed up to hit the 26 Mix in the Mission District.

Debbie had a waitressing job so it was past eleven by the time we got there. The cavernous club was packed; the music was deafening. Debbie got asked to dance almost immediately so I navigated my way through the packed bodies to the bar to order a beer.

Sipping my beer and clinging to a column, I watched the writhing bodies on the dance floor. I casually checked out the guy who came and leaned over on the other side of the column. Brown, sandy hair and dressed reasonably well in jeans and a leather jacket. Worth a shot.

He caught my eye and leaned over to yell above the music. "Hi."

"Hi," I yelled back.

He moved closer. "What's your name?"

"Leah. What's yours?"

"Chad. Are you from around here?" he asked.

"No." I shook my head. "I'm from up north, Washington."

"You look Native American. Are you?"

Oh, one of those. Some guys found that fact fascinating. I found that the guys who did, were usually not fascinating at all. Still I answered, "yes."

"What tribe?"

"You probably haven't heard of it," I yelled. He looked at me expectantly. "Quileute," I finished.

He nodded, as if he was expecting that answer. He looked over his shoulder to the bar area. Following his gaze across the crowded room I saw several people where his gaze pointed, a couple with their heads together and one man, drinking alone in a silk suit, fedora and sunglasses. Sunglasses in a bar, a silly pretension.

"Listen," Chad said. "I know this is odd, but I have a job offer for you."

_This would be ripe, no doubt_. "What kind of job?" I asked skeptically.

Chad laughed at the doubting expression on my face. "No, really," he chuckled. "It's doing admin assistant work. I was told to give you this card." He handed me a business card. "And this for your trouble." He handed me a fifty dollar bill.

People don't pass out jobs and money in bars. "Who told you?"

"That guy over there," he pointed with his thumb at the bar. I looked again. The couple was still there, but the suit and sunglasses man had disappeared.

I looked at the money and the card. "Really," Chad yelled, "you should check it out. If that guy is throwing money around, I'd want to be in a position to catch it." He saluted me with his beer and pressed into the crowd.

Debbie came off the dance floor and I stretched the fifty between my fingers to wave it in her face. Her eyes widened and she yelled, "How did you get that?"

"You won't believe me when I tell you. C'mon, let's get some shots." We headed to the bar.

It was noon of the next day by the time I dragged my sorry ass out of bed. My purse contents were scattered on the floor, and I groaned as I picked them up. The card Chad had given me flashed at me. That's when I read it.

Col. Martin Freed, ret.

Security Officer

Halcyon Corp.

There was a phone number on the bottom, but nothing else. I padded into the kitchen, examining it.

Debbie was there, scarfing down some cereal. She saw me looking at the card. "So, are you going to call him?"

"No. It's probably something really sketchy." I reached for the coffeepot.

"You're nuts, man. You should call him, at least check it out," she urged me.

"Coffee first," I moaned.

It was another two days before I called. If I hadn't been down to my last twenty bucks, I probably would have blown it off. I still expected the worst so I was surprised when a very professional sounding receptionist answered the phone, and put me through to Colonel Freed's secretary. She said she'd been expecting my call and asked me to come in the following day for an interview. She gave me an address in the Presidio.

The next day I put on the one skirt I owned and drove my tired Taurus to the address. The building was all chrome and glass. The lobby area and receptionist desk were manned by no less than three burly guards.

They gave me a security badge and directions to the fifth floor. I fingered the badge nervously as I watched the elevator's floor numbers flash by. I was met at the elevator door by a forty-ish woman in a dress suit, that cost more than my Taurus, and perfect hair and make-up.

"Leah, I'm so pleased to meet you." She held out her hand for me to shake. "I'm Ruth Daudry and I'll be meeting with you today."

She led me over to a desk and asked me to take a seat. "Fill this out, would you, dear?" she said, as she handed me a clipboard with a standard job application.

"Alright." I took the clipboard and proffered pen tentatively.

"I'll be back in fifteen minutes. If you don't understand a question, leave it blank and we'll go over it when I return." She turned and walked down the corridor.

I took a moment to survey my surroundings. I was sitting at a desk in another reception area, with corridors branching out. All the doors along the corridors were closed, but I could hear some voices and telephones ringing. The buttons on the phone on the desk flashed feverishly.

The desk was solid and well made. The swivel chair felt like leather. The windows looked out over the city. _Pretty posh._

I'd finished the application when Ruth returned and led me into a small conference room.

Her pencil drummed against the table as she looked over what I had written. I watched nervously with my hands in my lap.

"Well, this looks very good," she said, looking at me over the top of her glasses. "The job is for an administrative assistant. There will be filing, some phones, some data entry. The hours are nine to five. We'll start you at forty-five a year. Would that be acceptable?"

"Forty-five a year?" I didn't understand.

"Forty-five thousand a year, dear." Her eyebrows raised. "Salary. Acceptable, yes?"

I hurried to cover my surprise. That was twice what I'd ever earned. "That will be fine."

She stood up. "So we'll see you next Monday."

"Great." I stood up, then hesitated by the door. This was all happening at a lightning speed. "May I ask you a question?"

"Sure." Her polite smile didn't reach her eyes.

"Why me?"

"Dear?" she asked, as if she didn't know what I meant. There was more bubbling beneath the calm professional exterior than she was letting on.

"This job found me. I'm just wondering why. What makes me so special?"

Her eyes became guarded, but the smile didn't change. "We're government contractors. We're required to hire a certain amount of minorities. You're Native American, yes?"

"Yes," I answered slowly.

"Well, there you go," she said, as if that explained everything.

Somehow I could tell she was lying. There was more to it than that, I was sure. Her face was fixed in the same polite mask, and it was obvious she wasn't giving anything up. I decided I was too broke to look a gift horse in the mouth.

She gestured toward the door. "Come, let me show you the way out."

That's how I started working at Halcyon. Over the next three weeks, Ruth instructed me on how to answer the phone, how to file and other office basics. The job seemed ridiculously easy for the salary they were paying me.

The company provided security services to corporations and overseas companies. I did a lot of expense report and requisition filing. I ate lunch with a few of the younger girls from accounting, but I never met with them after work.

I took Debbie out for a nice dinner with my first big paycheck. That's when she told me that she was moving in with Kevin. I found my own apartment, a one bedroom in the Marina part if the city. I stopped hitting the bars so heavily, having lost my drinking partner.

That's when the dreams started. I was always in wolf form but sometimes I'd be running after someone, without ever being able to catch them. Or I'd be running from someone monstrous, never able to see their face. I'd wake up with my heart pounding and my hands shaking. I didn't want to phase, I didn't want to think or dream about phasing. I wanted to leave anything and everything connected with the reservation behind, and that included this crazy supernatural crap.

I had loved being part of a pack. I loved the exhilaration of running full speed through the forest, jumping roots and dodging branches at incredible speeds. Moving with precision towards a target as a group. Knowing I was part of an incredibly rich, magical heritage. What I'd come to hate was how your life, with all it errors and mess-ups, was laid out for all to see. And as the pack grew larger, the more I'd see the pity and condescending looks. I needed some time to heal, alone and without an audience. I thought I'd found that in San Francisco, but I was wrong.

Colonel Freed was our department head. He was definitely an ex-military type; short butch hair, shoes always shined and shirt neatly pressed. He was a lot like Ruth, when he smiled you never saw it in his eyes. He often seemed to seek me out to say hello during the day. It left me a bit puzzled, but I didn't get the feeling he was a letch.

I was surprised when he called me into his office one day. I thought he'd finally caught on to how little I was actually doing and was going to fire me. That'd be bad news. I'd gotten rid of the Taurus and now I had a sweet little Honda with car payments to make.

I knocked on his door. "Leah, come in. Sit down." He stood with his hands behind his back, facing out the window. "Do you like working for Halcyon?" he asked conversationally.

"Yes, very much," I mumbled, waiting for my fears to be confirmed.

He came and perched on the corner of the desk. "Leah, I am a strong believer of people living up to their potential." He stared into my eyes, like he was trying to read my mind. "I think that you have great potential, great untapped potential."

"Um, thank you?" I said, my voice rising. _Where was he going with this?_

He moved around the desk and sat down. "Did you know that Halcyon works with the federal government to assist them in domestic anti-terrorist activities?"

"No, I didn't know that." _Isn't that kind of information classified?_

"We do. All kinds of activities. We work with Homeland Security." He was gauging my reaction to this information. I did my best to keep my face smooth and unconcerned. I was suspicious of this sudden interest in sharing, so I switched into my 'enigmatic, stoic red man' mode.

He sat back in his chair, tented his hands together and watched me for a moment. Then reaching into a desk drawer, he pulled out a file folder. He pushed it across the desk. "Leah, I want you to look at these pictures. Let me tell you, they are unpleasant."

I looked at the folder. I didn't really want to touch it.

"These pictures are the victims of a certain kind of terrorist that we've been tracking. Go ahead, look at them."

I opened the file cover. The first picture was of a young woman, bright red hair, lying awkwardly on the floor, her eyes shut. It struck me she was dead. The next picture was of another corpse, this one an older man, turned sideways, his arms twisted impossibly. I felt a twinge as I remembered my dad, who had died 7 years ago. There were several dozen other pictures under those, but I'd seen enough.

I looked up at the Colonel, who was peering at me intently.

"You can't tell from the pictures, but these victims all had one thing in common."

I looked at him, confused. I still couldn't see where this was headed.

"The bodies were drained of blood." He watched my face intently.

I felt my stomach lurch, and my face drain. I closed the file and sat back in my chair. _He knows. He knows everything._

He got up from the desk and moved back to stare out the windows, clasping his hands behind him. "We've been aware for some time that there are ancient terrors out there, hiding among us."

He turned to me. "They are taking lives; mothers, fathers, sons and daughters. I've been put in charge of trying to find a way to stop them." He moved into the chair next to mine and put his hand on my arm. "You know what I'm talking about, don't you? You can help us, Leah. I am aware of your heritage, your powers. You have a unique skill set, one designed to fight these monsters. That's what they are, Leah, and you know it."

"How did you know?" I whispered, my mind reeling.

"We've known for a while. We just never had a way to fight them before."

Something clicked in my brain. I stared at the desk in front of me. "This is why I was hired, wasn't it?"

He sat back in his chair and looked at me, smiling. "You didn't think your secretarial skills were that good, did you?"

"No," I whispered. I moved to get out of my chair. I needed some time to think.

He stepped in front of my path to the door. His words became faster; I could see he needed to convince me. "We need you, Leah. You'd be heading up your own unit. You'd get a security clearance, an upgrade in pay grade. A company car." He let that sink in, and then switched tactics. "Here is the chance for you to serve your country, in a job that only a Quileute could accomplish."

_Money, flattery, a call to patriotism. What next?_ I moved to sidestep him

He stepped closer to me. His voice became disdainful. "Are you really going to let the vampires roam free, with no consequences?"

That's what they were doing, wasn't it? I met his eyes. He could see he'd finally struck home with that argument.

"Filthy bloodsuckers," he said softly. "It's payback time, isn't it?" He cocked his head to one side.

I thought about all the hikers I'd seen taken out by Victoria and her army. The trail of bodies left by Volturi visits. Granted, the victims weren't Quileutes but they were innocents all the same.

I thought about Bella, that heartless bitch. The way she'd dragged Jacob around. The whole family of Cullens. No, regrettably they were untouchable. I'd honor the treaty. I'd make sure they were unmolested. Anybody else though was open game.

Murderous, stinking vampires. They had a lot to answer for.

He smiled triumphantly as I felt my face change into a grim smile. "We'll begin immediately."

***

A month later, I'd gone to La Push to recruit other pack members. I knew just who would be enthusiastic about the chance to get off the reservation and make a difference in the war against our enemies. People who hadn't been cozy with the Cullens. People who were as repulsed as I was by the seemingly endless line of murders.

I snuck into La Push in the black Lexus Freed had given me. I wasn't ready to face my mother, my brother or any of my onetime friends. I was hoping to quickly slide in and out of town. I was looking in particular for Solomon Hatch. He'd been one of the most vocal detractors of the Cullens, and he ran with a group that was just generally discontented with tribal politics, and the treaty with the Cullens in particular.

I found the group of them hanging out at the north end of First Beach. It was another damp and rainy day and the five of them were huddled around a van, watching the few souls stubborn enough to brave the waves. They were suitably impressed by the Lexus and I regaled them with stories about the high life in the city. I asked them about the tribal council that operated separately from the elders' councils. The one that Sam Uley ran, out of the public eye and that governed the wolf pack.

Solomon made a disdainful noise. "That bunch of pansies? We have the greatest concentration of bloodsuckers living right next to us and what are we doing? Nothing!"

Del Cleveland, sitting next to him nodded. "The Cullens are a magnet. How long before some rival group of vamps come by and threaten the whole tribe? Instead, we've been protecting them, fighting on their side? We should have let the gang of leeches tear each other apart."

Jimmy Morganroth spoke up. He was the quiet one, but also the smartest. "We should form our own pack. You were there when Jacob did it, Leah. How did he do it?"

"Well, I think he just decided to. It's not like he had to fight Sam or anything," I said. "Listen, if you guys are really interested in putting down some vamps, I've got an offer for you."

They all leaned in to listen. It was an easy sell; they were all chomping at the bit to get away from under Sam's thumb. There were so many in the wolf pack and damn little for them to do. It wasn't any wonder that they were eager to use the power they had. We made arrangements for them to meet me in San Francisco in a week, where we'd get them started with Halcyon.

I became the Alpha. I had to fight Solomon for it, but my fighting experience and speed trumped his larger size in the end. I just wanted it more, this time I wasn't playing second fiddle to anyone.

Our first gig was in Romania. We flew over there in a military plane. The intelligence we received on where to find the vamps was spot on. We quickly destroyed a pair of them, and we celebrated on the way home. My pack was jubilant that they had found a way to use the power they'd been given. Next we journeyed to Atlanta, which went down amazingly well. I think it made us all a bit cocky. We didn't have quite the same success in Egypt, two of them escaped but we did kill the other two.

The target in Boston was a single female. We tracked her as she hunted and cornered her in Franklin Park. She growled as we surrounded her in the dark woods, out of sight from the footpaths. "Caius sent you, didn't he?" she snarled.

We continued the slow tightening of our circle around her. Her eyes flickered from left to right, trying to watch all six of us at once. "I heard he was picking us off, I never guessed he'd be using werewolves." She feinted to the left but Jimmy blocked her. There would be no escape for her.

Her face became resigned, but within it I read a strange kind of peace. She looked me in the eye and raised her chin defiantly. "You tell Caius he can go to hell." She straightened up and closed her eyes. We took her down.

My mind picked at her words as we drove to our next mission. Caius was such an unusual name, I recognized it from somewhere but it escaped me.

I was getting an uneasy feeling about the work that we'd been doing. Was this really what it seemed at face value? Why was Colonel Freed the only official who seemed to know anything about our operation?

After this next mission in Alaska, I'd get some answers.

A/N Sure you could just keep reading, but you've got options! You could also review (hint hint)


	7. Chapter 7 Watching The Sky

**Renesmee**

It was a perfect night for stargazing. The sky was clear and cloudless and the Milky Way glittered above our heads like a diamond spiral. Mars was insanely bright; we could even see a sliver of the polar cap through the telescope. The night was inky around us. The trees surrounding the crest were a gently rustling wall of darkness.

Kate, Rosalie, Jacob and I were on the hill above the house, having climbed the trail in the dark an hour ago. We'd set up the telescope and were having turns using it. When not on the scope, the Perseid meteor shower was keeping us busy oohing and ahhing. It seemed every other minute, a streak of light flared across the sky as another chunk of space rock hit the atmosphere.

"So, when are you guys moving east?" Kate asked Rosalie, as they lounged in the grass beside us.

"Another week. That will give us a week or so to settle in before school starts," Rosalie said. She rested her arms on her bent knees and let her fingers clasp. "I'll miss not being close to you all, but I'm ready to say good-bye to Forks."

"I thought you liked Forks." Kate glanced over at Jacob, who had his eye pressed to the scope and was squeezing the eyepiece. I wasn't the only one who sensed his sudden tension as the talk had turned to moving.

"Well, it's where Nessie was raised so it will always hold a special place in my heart." Rosalie smiled at me. She looked away and frowned a bit. "But Forks has been a bit too interesting, if you know what I mean. What with the army of newborns showing up, the neighbors and the visits from the Volturi, I'm ready for a stretch of normalcy"

"Normalcy," Jacob scoffed as he raised his head. "Like there can be any normalcy in that house of freaks."

I stared at Jacob. That was a bit harsh. His bitterness was rather pointed.

Rosalie sprang off the ground where she had been sitting and with her hands on her hips spat out, "Who you calling a freak, you mutant mutt?"

Jacob stepped up to her so that he towered over her. "That horror show you call a family," he said, his face glowering. "When will you guys recognize that Nessie's got a human side? It's not right! Taking her away again, like she's some kind of doll? She could live with Charlie, for chrissakes! Live like a human!"

Rosalie's scowl deepened. "Live like a human? By sticking around in some hick town, that's the epitome of the human experience?"

"And living with a bunch of leeches is?" Jacob's voice kept getting louder. "She can't even have any friends the way you jerk her around."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kate rise. I thought she'd come to step between Jacob and Rosalie, whose faces were now only inches apart. As it was, Rosalie had to crane her neck back to look the much taller Jacob in the eye. Instead, Kate was looking down the hill towards the house.

Rosalie wasn't giving an inch. "So you'd separate her from her whole family! Great plan! To what, rot in Forks? With a grandfather who doesn't even know what she is?" Rosalie was so angry she was nearly spitting her words.

I was cringing inside with the violence in which Jacob and Rosalie threw their words at each other. How could they start this now? Rosalie was tense in every line of her stance, her fists clenched. Jacob was starting to shiver with anger as he leaned over her. If he phased while she was so close, someone would get hurt. Her cold marble stare battled against his hot, passionate one.

Jacob was shouting at her. "You parasites think of nothing but yourselves! What about Nessie? Is she going to spend her whole life with nothing but stone monsters?"

"STOP!" I yelled as loud as I could. "STOP IT, STOP IT!" I took a step towards them, my own fists balled at my sides. They both turned and looked at me, their faces running through anger, fury and concern.

There was a moment of abrupt silence as I glared at both of them. I took a breath to snap off a rude remark, but a voice came from an unexpected direction.

Kate spoke one word. "Trouble."

We all turned to her in surprise. She was looking down the hill, watching three sets of headlights approach the house. Their lights flickered through the trees as the cars raced down the winding road in tight formation. The night was suddenly hushed and hesitant.

She turned to us. "Rosalie, with me," she barked authoritatively. "Jacob, stay with Nessie." She took off down the trail in a flash.

Rosalie glared one more time at Jacob. "This isn't finished," she snarled at him.

"Not by a long shot," he growled as she brushed past him to give my arm a quick squeeze before heading down the trail, her blond hair glinting in the starlight.

We watched her disappear into the trees. "Nice, Jacob, nice," I said disparagingly to him as I turned back to the scope. "So my family are freaks now?"

"Nessie," he said. "I love your family. But they're not human. They pretend, but they're not." He threw his long arms in the air, gesturing. "There is a whole world out there, and you aren't even being given a chance to see it."

I bent down to the eyepiece. "I've seen plenty of the world," I said, peeved. "I've been a hell of a lot more places than you've ever been."

He roughly grabbed me by his shoulders and spun me around. He bent his knees so our faces were nearly level. "Nessie," he said intensely, staring me in the eyes. "You don't know what you're saying. You haven't seen what it means to be part of a group, a human group, a community. You know what it is to be a vampire but you don't know what it is to be human, and that is as much a part of you as the other."

His words pierced past my anger. I was struck dumb by the urgency in his voice. In the darkness, his skin looked like mahogany velvet. His eyes were deep and black. He brought his face closer to mine.

"Nessie," he whispered, "give that part of you a chance."

We stared at each other, the only sound our quick and shallow breathing. His hands shifted slightly down my arms. I became acutely aware of his hands on me, of how close our faces were, of how alone we were. His eyes flared with a passion that undeniably and irrevocably drew me to him.

My vision shifted, like I was seeing two Jacobs side by side. One was the Uncle Jacob I'd always known, the friend and confidant of my youth. The other was still Jacob, but someone dark and mysterious. Someone who was bound to me by ties deeper and stronger than family. Someone who could show me an entirely new world, create a whole new person in me.

Jacob's face, just inches from mine, seemed to fly in and out of focus. Jacob the uncle, Jacob the lover. The two Jacobs superimposed on each other, like a holographic image, flickering back and forth between the Jacob I knew and the Jacob that could be. My heart thudded in my chest and the images dissolved into one clear vision.

I knew I wanted him to kiss me. I didn't care who he had been before. I didn't care who I had been. Nothing mattered more than his strong warm presence and the closeness of our bodies. The quick thudding of his heart matched my own.

He felt it, too. His eyes moved back to mine and I could see the battle going on behind them. The two of us seemed locked in position. Echoed in our eyes was the undeniable truth that we were bound together in the most fundamental way. The question had never been if we would be together, the question was when.

Then I saw a light flare on the side of his face. He whipped around and took a step down the hill, still gripping my arm.

Together we stared in horror as a fireball rose like a mushroom cloud above the dell that held the house.

"Jesus Christ!" I gasped. Beneath the glow of the fireball we could see three black Hummers with their headlights on, pulled up on the lawn next to the house. Scattered figures glowed in the firelight.

"What's happening?" I cried. Jacob strode up to the telescope and swung it around to view the house. He bent down to the eyepiece and a moment later looked up at me, his face grim.

"Vampires. Jane and Alec. Two others." His voice was flat, his eyes burning.

"The Volturi are here?" I felt the pit of my stomach drop, sickened by the thought.

"They're not cloaked," Jacob said, watching the scene below intently.

Suddenly, another ball of fire rolled across the lawn and into the side of the first Hummer. The Hummer exploded upwards and there was a boom that rocked us on the hillside. Flames crept up the side of the house, reaching into the sky.

I turned to Jacob, horrified. "Rosalie's down there."

Jacob grabbed me by the shoulders. "Nessie, you must do exactly as I say. Can you do that?"

I nodded mutely, my eyes as big as saucers.

He peered into my eyes as if he could command my obedience. "Stay here. Wait a half hour. If I'm not back, circle back down to the river. About six miles downriver, there is the ranger station. Call your parents from there."

Over his shoulder I could see the sky lit up with the fire from below. Even though every cell of my being railed against it, I swallowed back my tears and nodded. Jacob pulled me against his chest for a brief embrace. His warm chest and arms felt like the last safe place in the world. "A half hour," he whispered into my hair and then pulled away. "I'll be back," he promised.

He turned and in three steps, his being shivered and in the pace of one stride he burst into wolf form, running full speed down the hill and into the tree line.

Down in the dell the fire continued to spread up the side of the building, swallowing the second floor. I hugged myself as I peered into the thickening smoke on the ground, trying to make out the figures. The Volturi! They haunted my dreams for years. My memories of their stand-off in Forks were misty now, but the fear of them had never left. Their parchment skin and crimson eyes starred in my worst nightmares.

I wished I knew what was going on. _The telescope, dummy!_ I ran over to the scope and adjusted the focus. I caught a brief glimpse of Jane, striding across the lawn, dressed all in black leather, her scowling face rendered warm by the flame's reflection. Jane! Of them all, she had featured in my foulest dreams.

The scope's image trembled with my hands as I tried to make some sense of the pictures below. I caught another figure, a face I didn't recognize. Petite, delicate Asian features surrounded by waist length black hair, all in red. Her face was totally emotionless despite the chaos surrounding her. I watched as her hair started lifting around her head, like it would in a stiff breeze, despite the calm night around her. More fiercely with every second, her hair whipped around her head, forming a writhing black corona against her pale face, until it thrashed as violently as if she stood in a cyclone. The air started shimmering in front of her, roiling like the reflection of heat off a metal surface in hot sunlight. A light appeared in the midst of the turbulent air, and gradually grew over the space of seconds into a fireball an arm-span across. I watched horrified as it sped away from her.

Raising my eye from the scope, I could see the fireball fly across the yard below and splash against the house, causing another earth shaking boom. The shock of what I was seeing literally made my legs weak, and in horror I gasped and fell to my knees. I had no idea how the battle was progressing and my concern for those I loved was nearly suffocating me.

Feeling totally alone and vulnerable, watching the possible destruction of loved ones, I felt the tears well up again. I tried to swallow them back so I could continue to see what was happening below. I struggled to get back to my feet when I felt the lump in my pocket. I pulled it out and stared at it. My cell phone. I'd stuck it in my pocket yesterday afternoon, meaning to call my mom and then never did. The innocence of those moments seemed a lifetime away. But the yearning to hear my mom's voice was intense and I pressed the speed dial.

The phone rang twice and my mother's voice, musical and calm, spoke with pleasure. "Nessie," she crooned. "I was hoping I would hear from you."

Hearing the normalcy and love in her voice just set me to blubbering. "Mom, Mom," I gasped through my wracking sobs. "Oh, God, Mom, Jane is here and Rosalie is down there and Jacob left me here and oh, God, everything's on fire." I bawled as the words flew out in a single rush.

"Nessie!" my mother's voice rang in alarm. I am sure she said more, but at that moment the only thing I heard was the fierce snarling coming from just behind me. The hairs on my neck stood up and I froze, the cell phone slipping from my hand.

There was another low rumbling growl from my other side. Like being trapped in a nightmare where being pursued only makes you move in slow motion, I turned slowly around. Facing me were two huge wolves, their teeth bared, snarling savagely.

A/N I know, i know! Sorry for the cliffhanger. Update coming shortly, I promise


	8. Chapter 8 We'll Get Through This

Chapter 7 ended with a phone call from Renesmee who was panicking as she watched Jane, Alec and others burn down the Denali compound.

Bella

I stared at the phone in my hand. My whole being went into panic mode. I instinctively wanted to crouch and snarl but my enemy wasn't in front of me. Instead it was facing my fragile, vulnerable daughter.

Edward came shockingly fast around the corner. "Bella, what is it?" he asked, his voice low.

"Nessie, Alaska. She says Jane...," I choked out. Fear was closing my throat. "It's all burning." I closed my eyes as I swayed on my feet.

I heard Edward suck in his breath through his teeth. He stepped away from me. "Emmett! Carlisle!" he called, his face twisted with suppressed fury.

Emmett was there first, his cell phone in his hand. "Rosalie's not answering."

Carlisle appeared so fast, it was as if he had sprung from the ground. "What exactly did she say, Bella?"

I tried to think through the fear that was gripping my mind. "She said that Jane is there, and that everything's on fire."

Edward's face was as white as marble. He stabbed at his phone. "Let me try Kate or Tanya."

I felt the stillness associated with great emotion and stress in vampires overtake me. Only my eyes moved as I saw Emmett's face turn down into a fearsome stone mask. It was like watching him become a gargoyle from Notre Dame, threatening and fierce. A growl was rumbling in his throat.

Carlisle put his hand on Emmett's shoulder. It was Carlisle's control and his ability to act through a crisis that made him such a natural leader in our family. "Save your anger, Emmett. Let's get to Denali, first."

I heard a brittle cracking sound as pieces of Edward's crushed cell phone trickled from his clenched fist. "What's the fastest way?" Edward demanded.

Emmett raised his head. His jaws clenched as he struggled for control. "Fly from Portland to Anchorage. I'll check the flights." He was over at the computer instantly.

"Wait," Carlisle said, turning swiftly. "I know the guys that fly the med-evac flights. Let me get on the phone and see if anyone is available." He walked from the room with his phone in his hand.

Emmett was clacking away at the keyboard. "The next commercial flight doesn't leave until the morning. We could be in Anchorage by three." Without his anger, Emmett was left with only his fear for his wife and niece's safety. His eyes were preternaturally wide and black.

Edward frowned. "Then another three hour drive from Anchorage to Denali." He threw his head back and roared his frustration. "I need to be there now!" The house shook with the reverberations.

It was so unlike Edward to show impatience and frustration. Emmett approached Edward and put his hand on his shoulder. "Brother," he said urgently, "we all feel the need."

Edward placed his hand on Emmett's and they turned to touch foreheads. "We'll get through this," Emmett reassured Edward.

Edward turned to me, where I stood clutching myself. In each other's eyes we each read the same feelings of helplessness and despair. We threw our arms around each other and I buried my head in his chest. "Edward," I whispered, "if anything happens to her, I swear…" I had no words.

He stroked my hair and murmured, "I know, Bella, I know."

Carlisle came back around the corner. "Bud Watson's got a Piper he'll take us in. We meet him at the Forks airport in an hour. He'll fly us into Wasilla and we'll rent a car from there. We'll be there by morning."

"Thank you, Carlisle," Edward said without letting me go. Carlisle stepped over and put his arms around the both of us. He bowed his head to meet mine. "Strength, Bella," he whispered. "Courage."

Emmett came up on the other side of us and wrapped his bear-like arms around the group of us. The four of us squeezed together, connected by our love and fear. "We'll get through this, we'll get through this," Emmett repeated like a mantra, as if saying it enough would make it so.


	9. Chapter 9 Fire

JChapter 7 and 8 describe the start of the firefight at the Denali compound. We pick up with Jane's thoughts, going back in time a few hours.

**Jane**

I leaned back against the Hummer, feeling like a rock star in my black leather. It was just so satisfying to be out and about, in control of my own destiny. Being a part of the decision makers instead of kowtowing to them.

I glanced over to see Mei-An, expressionless in the passenger seat. She was definitely a strange one. Was it just the language barrier that kept her so silent? I'd picked up some Chinese when I knew we'd be working together, but any attempts to draw her into conversation were useless. The only time she came alive was when it was time to feed, and then she was voracious and merciless.

I sighed. Newborns, a necessary evil.

Demetri and Alec sat in the Hummer behind us, as we waited for our final members to show up. We were waiting at a turn off on the highway's final approach to Denali. We'd be hitting the Denali coven as soon as the human part of our little gathering arrived. I wasn't looking forward to having to work with these clowns, but Caius insisted a human intermediary was essential to working with the werewolves, even if we were never to see them. The werewolves would be manning perimeter control and providing cover against a certain fortuneteller.

Another black Hummer matching ours pulled into the turn-off and screeched to a halt, causing gravel to scatter. Five burly men dressed in black tee shirts and fatigue pants pushed their way out of the car. They strode over to me with that bowlegged gait particular to the over-muscled. They all had buzz cuts and gear and guns pinned all over their bodies. Well, these weren't Army regulars, that was for sure. They stank of mercenaries.

"I'm Captain Geary," the point man said. He was in his thirties, with sandy hair and rugged looks. Obviously used to being in authority. I'd pop that little bubble soon enough. He indicated to his left and right as he spoke. "These are Sergeants Boz and Petrucci, Lieutenant Sanders and Private Elmen." They all nodded in turn. "We'll be providing your perimeter control and safety back up."

He looked me up and down, obviously unimpressed. Each of these bozos was twice my weight and had a good foot or more on me. "What arms are you carrying?" he asked.

"Everything we need, don't worry. Just try to keep up and keep out of the way," I said sarcastically as I yanked the Hummer door to jump in.

Captain Geary put his hands on the door as if to stop me. "Can I ask what your strategy is?"

Private Elmen was nearest to me, and I supposed he would be the most expendable among them. I took three steps too quickly for them to react. I stiff-armed Private Elmen in the chest and he went soaring in an arc and crashed into a tree twenty feet away and ten feet off the ground. He slid down the trunk and landed face first in the dirt.

The rest of them took a step back from me in varying degrees of alarm. "No, you can't," I spat at them. "Any other questions?" I looked them all in the eye in turns and let their unconscious recognize the danger they faced. It was easy to see they were adjusting their estimate of me. "I thought not." I hopped in the Hummer and revved the engine. I disdainfully looked back at Elmen. "Pick him up and follow me. Stay in your car when we get there."

The two sergeants ran over to the tree where Elmen lay unmoving. "Crazy bitch," one of them muttered as they grabbed the unconscious man.

That made me smile and I pulled out onto the highway.

The driveway was a narrow dirt and gravel road several miles long. Mei-An and I bounced along the pockmarked road without a word. I pulled my Hummer up onto the front lawn to face the door. Woods and hills surrounded the house, except by the west face which overlooked a gorge. I could hear the river rushing down below.

The other cars pulled up next to mine. In Chinese, I spoke to Mei-An. "Get out of the car now, but stay near. Burn what I tell you."

A deck wrapped around two sides of the house. Tanya came out the front door and watched as we disembarked from the cars.

"Jane, Alec, Demetri." She nodded to each of us and eyed the silent Mei-an. "I can't say it's a pleasure to see you," she said warily. "To what do I owe the honor of this visit?"

"Some unfinished business," I told her. "Where are the rest of your, er, family?" I grimaced at the word. A family; heresy again. Pretending to be human, it was humiliating to see.

"I'm here alone," she lied. "What kind of business?"

"We've been unhappy with your lifestyle choices," I said, priding myself on using current vernacular. "You're disgracing your race."

"Who is we?" She challenged me as she stepped forward. "You're not cloaked. I've heard the Volturi were disbanded." _Damn, word gets around quickly_.

"What are you doing here, Jane?" she asked suspiciously.

"What I'm doing," I hissed through my teeth, "is cleaning up the mess that Aro left behind."

"The mess that Aro left?" Tanya's tone was becoming scornful. "We've violated none of your laws. We've endangered nobody's secrets. There are no immortal children here."

I saw her eyes flick up to the hill behind our backs. Interesting. Was that where the rest of her coven cowered?

The conversation was becoming tedious. I glanced over to Alec. He understood immediately and let the fog of his perception blanket start drifting towards Tanya.

"It's not immortal children or secrets, Tanya." I said through clenched teeth.

Tanya suddenly realized how grave her situation was and she started backing towards the door to the house. I focused on her, let rip a spear of pain and she fell to her knees. Alec's fog caught up with her then, trapping her in a cocoon of blackness and non-perception.

"Mei-An," I commanded. "Burn her."

Mein-An started gathering the energy necessary. It was an interesting phenomenon to watch, but I was pulled away by the arrival of Tanya's coven member, Kate and Rosalie Cullen.

Rosalie Cullen! Oh, this was a treat. I smiled at them as they came to stand in the yard. Tanya kneeled unmoving on the porch, staring blankly. Kate took in Tanya's vacant face and growling, strode towards Alec, but Demetri grabbed her first. Mei-An released the fireball and Tanya and the deck burst into flames.

Kate started screaming, while Demetri held back her arms, as the kneeling Tanya became the center of an inferno. Rosalie launched herself at Mei-An, but I focused on her and she dropped to the ground, writhing and screaming, her beautiful features contorted into a grotesque mask. "Mei-An," I commanded, "her next," gesturing with my chin towards Rosalie.

Mei-An's hair was writhing wildly just as Demetri groaned and dropped to the ground. Kate had shocked him and she sprang towards Alec. Alec had always been a distance fighter; he had no practice with hand to hand combat. Kate barreled into him and together they went hurling across the yard.

"No!" I yelled, as I realized the trajectory Kate and Alec were taking as they tumbled across the lawn. Mei-An spun the fireball outwards and Kate and Alec took the brunt of it. Still grappling with each other, fire crawling up their skin, they crashed into the side of the Hummer. The side of it crumpled under their impact. I smelled the gasoline a second before the Hummer exploded, its chassis blasting into the air. It flipped in the air, pieces bursting from it. Burning chunks rained onto the yard, and the hills around us echoed with the boom.

Damn! But I had no time to mourn Alec, as I realized, in my distraction I had released Rosalie, who shot towards me, a grim and determined look on her face. I filled her with my most concentrated pain then, and she fell to the ground, shrieking and thrashing, mere feet away from where I stood.

I turned to Mei-An, keeping a part of my mind on Rosalie. Mei-An stood there blankly, her face expressionless. "You stupid cow!" I yelled at her in Chinese. "I meant her," gesturing with my chin at the fallen and screeching Rosalie. Mei-An cocked her head to one side, her face totally impassive. Her red leathers glinted with the reflected flames from the burning Hummer and the house as the inferno crept up to the roof. Her long straight black hair started to lift.

I glanced at Rosalie, considering this unexpected prize and how best I might profit. "Wait," I commanded to Mei-An, but she was too far gone in the process. At the last moment she twisted away and the fireball went crashing into the side of the house, splashing against the propane tank which exploded. It sent up another wall of flame and rocked the hillsides with the blast.

Demetri approached me cautiously, keeping his distance from the thrashing figure on the ground. "That sucks about Alec," he commented his hands on his hips. I shot him a murderous glance. This is what he had to say of this disaster? He backed away to leave me with my thoughts on what the best use of Rosalie Cullen would be.

We both heard it then, a crashing sound as something big and fast moved through the forest towards us. "Are those wolves providing any perimeter control at all?" I complained to Demetri as I anticipated another visit.

A huge wolf came streaking out of the trees towards us, catching Demetri's shoulder and hurling him to the ground. Not one of ours, then. It danced around Demetri, tearing at him with its teeth, using its weight to bowl Demetri over as he tried to rise. Demetri finally gained his feet, and the two of them circled around the yard, feinting and dodging.

"Mei-An," I yelled. "Burn the dog! Just the dog, please."

Demetri and the wolf were circling each other, snarling and growling. Demetri stepped too close to Rosalie and in her convulsions, she grabbed his ankle. He fell to the ground, and the wolf was instantly on him. There was that awful screeching sound and the wolf, with a violent flick of its neck, threw Demetri's unattached head over its shoulder. It went rolling across the yard as the body slumped to the grass.

Mei-An let loose another fireball, smaller and less fierce than the others. It caught the wolf full on the flank, forcing the wolf to the ground with its force, its fur crackling into flame. Still, it sprang towards me, snarling fiercely. I caught it with my boot just as it lunged and with a satisfying kick saw it go sailing over the edge of the gorge. It flew like a meteor, the flames streaking behind it. Three seconds later, I caught the resounding thud as it hit the bottom of the gorge.

Now I was really angry. These were unacceptable losses, Alec and then Demetri. Still keeping Rosalie pinned to the ground, I strode over to the third Hummer where Captain Geary and his men sat. I punched through the driver's window glass and grabbed Captain Geary by the throat. The stunned man was pale beneath his tan.

"Captain," I said calmly, not wanting the man to become completely incoherent, "I have had two very unpleasant surprises now. I don't want any more. Is our perimeter secure?"

"No, Ma'm" he whispered, my grip constricting his throat. "Team Lupus says they have a captive, a girl, they believe is part of this group. We should go meet them and escort the prisoner down."

I released his throat. "Then go." The four of them jumped from the vehicle and circled it, trying to keep as much distance from me as possible. "Ma'm," the Captain spoke up. "We've also heard on the scanner that the ranger station has reported the fire. Fire trucks will be here soon." He backed up, following his men into the trees.

"Get the prisoner and return. Quickly," I ordered.

Great, now humans would be arriving in force. This debacle was going from bad to worse. I turned to survey the area. Centuries of practice in hiding the evidence kicked in.

Mei-An was drifting across the yard, the way the soldiers had gone, starting to curl into a hunting stance. I looked into the back of the Hummer where the barely conscious Elmen was groaning. I opened the back door and yanked him out by his arm. "Mei-An," I called. "Drink," I shouted as I threw the man's body over to where she was. It landed at her feet and she was on him in an instant. "Throw him in the fire when you're done," I instructed her.

Demetri's body was a definite problem. I gathered his twitching body and threw it in back of the Hummer. It took me a moment to find his head, but then I tossed it in the back as well. He'd be out of commission for some time while he knitted back together, but he would recover eventually. Those tracking skills of his were important.

Mei-An finished her snack, and threw the body at the house, which now was completely engulfed in flames. I heard the men coming back through the forest, accompanied by someone sniffling and wheezing. Not a vampire then. They broke through the trees, two of them hauling a girl between them.

I met them halfway across the yard. Boz and Petrucci held the girl up by her shoulders; her head was down and she sagged between them. I glanced back where Rosalie was still moaning and clutching the dirt.

Something about this girl was very familiar and I stepped nearer for a closer look. I caught a whiff of blood; she'd scraped her knee at some point.

"Look at me," I ordered. Her head rose slowly. Her bronze hair framed a heart shaped face, her brown eyes brimming with tears which had left trails down her face. Her eyes were huge with fear.

The pieces suddenly came together. "Well, Renesmee, you've grown a bit since I've seen you last." Her head dropped again, but I brought my finger up under her chin. "We're going to have some fun together, you and I. I've been meaning to catch up with your parents." Renesmee! Suddenly this debacle had turned around. Her capture was so much better than Rosalie's. A bargaining chip, a bit of leverage, some payback to Bella, all of these were now possible with Renesmee in my hands.

Her huge eyes shifted from side to side, then settled on where Rosalie groveled in the dirt. "Rosalie!" she cried.

"Stop that!" I ordered her and slapped her across the face. She shrieked with the pain and slumped further down the grip of the soldiers.

"You leave her alone," a voice hoarse and strained came from behind me. Mei-An was drifting towards us, her eyes locked on Renesmee's bleeding knee. It wasn't Mei-An though, who had spoken. Rosalie was pulling her self along the ground towards us, her face contorted and monstrous with pain and rage.

Nobody in my centuries had ever been able to withstand the pain I gave them. Nobody. I concentrated harder at Rosalie, pouring all of my energy into the spears of pain I flung her way. She grunted and shivered but then continued her relentless but slow progress towards me, determination settling lines into the once beautiful face. Her manicured fingers dug into the dirt as she pulled herself along.

Off in the distance, out on the highway, I could hear the sirens of the fire trucks. My time was running short. I grabbed Mei-An by the shoulders, tearing her eyes away from Renesmee. I pointed her at Rosalie. "Burn her," I commanded.

I turned to Geary and the men. "She rides with you," I directed, indicating Renesmee. Mei-An wouldn't be able to stand Renesmee's close proximity with an open wound.

Mei-An was standing still, motionless. "Burn her, you Asian pig!" I yelled. Mei-An looked at me, her face deadpan and spoke the first words that night. "The fire is tired," she said in a monotone. "The river. Too many water in the air."

I shrieked in exasperation. This night had been cursed from start to finish, with one bright exception. "Get in the car!"

I stomped over to Rosalie, who hissed at me as I approached her. That girl was fucking stubborn, I'd give her that. I picked her up by her designer jean clad leg and with a discus like move, heaved her into the burning house. She crashed through a second story window.

The sirens were getting louder and louder. "Get her in the car and go!" I yelled at Geary and his men, who had watched this with blank faces. I ran over to the Hummer and kicked the engine to life. In the rear view mirror, I could see them manhandling Renesmee into the car, so I stomped on the accelerator and the Hummer leaped forward.

A/N Please review! It's the only reward authors get!


	10. Chapter 10 Red Eyes

Chapter 9 described how Renesmee was captured by Jane at the firefight in Denali

**Renesmee**

My nightmares had come to life and there was no waking up. I felt like I was sleepwalking in the worst dream possible. The wolves had chased me down the hill, well, herded me was more like it. Every time I went to break off the path, they were there, snarling and growling until I backed up to the path again. It was plain they weren't ordinary wolves. Their speed, their height and the intelligence shining out of their menacing eyes, all told me they were more than they appeared. Were they part of the Quileute pack? I couldn't guess.

Then I saw four soldiers coming up the hill, and my hopes had risen. I actually ran to them, thinking that they might be able to help me and the Denalis. Instead, they had grabbed me by the arms and dragged me down the rest of the hill, without listening to my pleas or answering my questions.

We broke through the trees where hell was now in residence. A car balanced on its roof blazed hotly, the house was a burning inferno and chunks of smoldering metal littered the yard.

Jane, the monster that had inhabited my most terrifying dreams, stood before me, her red eyes reflecting the fires around us. I couldn't even hear what Jane said; my eyes were focused on Rosalie writhing in the dirt, her face contorted with pain. Jane slapped me at some point; I didn't know why. Nothing was making any sense. I watched in disbelief as she heaved Rosalie into the burning house.

That's when the soldiers started to manhandle me towards the car. Through the fog of my terror and shock, it struck me that they were going to take me away from this place, from where I'd last seen Jacob. It was up to me then. If Jane took me away, she'd only use me against my parents and family. I couldn't let myself be a part of her plan.

I needed to get away. As they dragged me to the car, I projected to them. I showed the soldiers on either side of me that their hands that held me were hot and getting hotter. The men on either side of me shifted their hands trying to get comfortable and then I projected their hands bursting into flames. The two of them gasped and flung their hands off me. Quick as lightning, I dashed under their arms. Dodging past the last man who made a grab for me, I ran like I never had before to the safety of the trees. Shouting and footsteps sounded close behind me, and it just spurred me on. Silently I thanked my father that I had inherited at least some of his speed, and I poured it on. Their pursuit fell behind me quickly and that's when I heard the bullets whiz by my ear.

Three steps away from the trees, I felt a stinging in my arm, but nothing was stopping me. Into the trees I went, finding the path that ran along the top of the gorge. I ran for what seemed like forever, and then finally slowed, when no sounds of pursuit were obvious. I leaned over, my hands on my knees, my heart beating wildly, breathing through my mouth as I tried to pant quietly, so I could listen. The only thing I could hear was the sirens of fire trucks getting louder and louder. Something warm trickled down my arm and in the faint light I saw a streak of black ooze across my hand.

I was hit. I took off my jacket, which was stained with blood on the arm, as was the shirt that I was wearing. The spots looked black in the faint starlight. I ripped off the shirt sleeve so I could take a look. A bullet had just grazed me, on my upper arm. The blood continued seeping out as I watched, dripping down my arm. I was too high on adrenaline for it to really hurt yet, but it would ache tomorrow.

The path down to the river was nearby here, I recalled. I backtracked a bit and then followed the path down to kneel by the side of the river to wash my arm. There was a groove in my arm, but nothing major had been hit. Balling my ripped sleeve, and then tearing a strip from my shirt hem, I tied the improvised bandage on my arm.

I'd been chased by wolves. I'd been dragged around by soldiers, threatened by Jane, seen my family and friends burned and then I'd been shot. The whole experience was so surreal, I'd lost some connection with my emotions. I felt like I was just running on autopilot. There would be time later to break down and cry. If I wasn't feeling so numb, I'd have been paralyzed with fear, anger and outrage.

I needed to know what was going on. Where was Jacob? Was Rosalie beyond my help or was there something I could do? I started walking along the beach back towards the house, picking my steps carefully.

From below, I could see the reflected lights of the fire trucks brush against the tops of the trees. I walked stealthily as I neared the beach below the house, avoiding the boulders that littered the shore, alert for anyone who may have come down to the river bed.

In the moonless night, the river flowed blackly. Against the grey rocks on the beach, a figure crouched. A moment's study proved it was a woman, kneeling. I thought I was being silent, but she looked right at me and hissed, "Renesmee!"

"Who is that?" I called out warily.

"Leah," she answered. "Jacob's been hurt."

Oh, God, that was Jacob at her feet. As I ran over to her, I made out the crumpled body of Jacob's wolf form. The smell of singed hair was strong.

"He was on fire. He's burned badly on his flank," she pointed out where large patches of hair gave way to skin that was red and raw looking. I saw the remaining fur was wet and the stones around him were dark with moisture as well. Leah must have splashed him to stop the flames. "He broke quite a few bones on his landing. At least his forelegs and I'm guessing a few ribs as well. Thankfully, he is unconscious now; he's going to be in a lot of pain when he wakes up."

"Will he be all right?" I asked fearfully. I'd seen Jacob heal before from pretty impressive injuries, but he looked so weak and vulnerable lying crumpled there.

"He needs medical attention to see those bones knit right," she said. "He'll heal, if infection doesn't set in." She stood up and put her hands on her hips. Gazing down at him, she shook her head and whispered, "Fool." It struck me that she was naked. "Where's the rest of your family?" she asked.

"I don't know," I said uncertainly. Mom had heard me before I dropped my phone. She'd be here as soon as possible, but that was 2,400 miles away. They would come, they would all come, but when? "I think Rosalie…," I started to say, before my throat closed. I couldn't finish. My vision grew blurry with the tears welling in my eyes.

"Well, get him to Carlisle as soon as you can," she said. She turned, as if to leave.

"Leah, what are you doing here?" I asked in complete bewilderment, sniffling back the tears. I felt like I couldn't think straight; I had so many questions about how and why she was here.

"I'm beginning to wonder about that myself," she said pensively. "This was never about you or your family. I am sorry you all were here, we didn't plan it this way."

"Plan what? Leah, where have you been? Everyone's been worried—"

"Listen, Renesmee," she interrupted me before I got any further, "this battle has been going on for centuries. We've been sparing your family, but lines are being drawn. Tell Jacob the day is coming when he's going to have to make a choice."

"A choice?" I asked fearfully. "What kind of choice?"

But she had turned away and started running. She phased into wolf form without missing a step. More than ever, I felt confused and bewildered. My safe, secure, privileged world had become mystifying and terrifying.

I could hear the sirens and fire trucks above at the top of the gorge, men shouting and machinery moving. I couldn't go up there until they left, for fear of them seeing me, questioning me, taking me into some kind of custody. After they left, I would go see if I could get any information. Maybe once dawn came, I could check the top of the hill for my cell phone.

I checked the line of sight from the top of the gorge, and moved Jacob slightly so that he was behind a boulder and wouldn't be seen if anyone should come check the beach. He whimpered slightly without waking when I moved him and I apologized to him in whispers for any pain I may have caused. I tried to keep his legs straight in case his bones were knitting, but I worried I might be doing more harm than good so I kept my ministrations to a minimum.

I leaned up against the rock face, and put my arms around my knees. The tears came then and came in force. I tried to keep my noises to a minimum and was grateful that the sound of the river would likely cover me. I cried for Rosalie, and how she'd tried to protect me. I cried for Jacob, whose sense of duty caused him to rush into the firefight. I cried for Tanya and Kate, expecting that they had seen the worst. I cried for my parents who were likely crazy with worry. I cried for myself, sitting alone in the night, scared and hurt.

I dozed off and on as the night crept past. I would fall asleep only to be awakened by a pounding heart and red eyes haunting my dreams. Still, I must have finally dropped off to sleep because the sun was edging its way across the far beach and towards the river as I came to. My arm complained loudly when I tried to move it. It was sore and burning at the same time.

Jacob was still unconscious. In the light of day, I could see how extensive his burns were. But his breathing was regular and I took that as a good sign. With the return of light came the flies. I spread my jacket over Jacob's side, trying to tent it so it would protect him without touching the damaged areas.

There was no sound from above, so I made the decision to go up and check the area. I didn't know what time it was, but I guessed seven or eight. I cupped my hands to drink from the stream and splashed my face. My eyes felt red and swollen from my crying. I was overtaken by homesickness and a yearning for my parents so intense, I swayed on my feet.

I backtracked along my trail from last night and cautiously approached the yard. Yellow police tape cordoned off the house, which was now nothing but a charred frame. The lawn was a muddy mess, completely torn up with vehicle tracks and the overturned car. The smell of burned wood and metal was overpowering.

I heard a car approaching. Immediately I ducked into the woods, retreating far enough to feel safe, yet still be able to see who it was.

A red Mercedes SUV came roaring into the clearing. I ran full speed at it but I was only half-way across the yard before my father had me in his arms.

A/N Sure, you can just keep reading, but you have options! You could review!


	11. Chapter 11 Reunion

**Bella**

The longest night of my life ended with a sunrise seen from the windows of an airplane. We flew into Wasilla and rented a car. Edward drove like a demon possessed, but it still seemed achingly slow. Fear had me trapped in its icy grip and left me with no defense. I was mute with terror for Renesmee's life. I gasped in horror as we came down the driveway to the Denali's home, seeing the charred wreck of the house.

But then we saw Nessie come running from the trees and suddenly I felt a world lighter. Edward was out of the car before it stopped rolling and I followed close behind him. Edward scooped her up in his arms and lifted her off her feet. She was crying, sobbing, and trying to talk while Edward murmured calming words to her. She reached out to me and never have I felt more maternal and protective than just then. I held her as her slight, vulnerable body trembled in my arms and I was torn by relief that she was still alive and guilt that I had let this happen to her.

She pulled back slightly from me so that we gazed into each other's eyes. Her hair was a tangled mess, her eyes were red and swollen, her nose was running and her skin was blotchy. But she was here and she was alive. I was so grateful, I could have gotten down on my knees. I watched as she gazed into my eyes but then her face crumpled and she was sobbing again. I rocked her as I hugged her closer, murmuring, "It's alright, it's alright, we've got you now," again and again.

Carlisle came up and Nessie reached out with one arm and brought him into our hug. "Nessie, you're hurt!" Carlisle said in surprise and I stepped back to see there was an improvised bandage on her arm. There was a scrape on her knee that had bled as well. I had smelled the dried blood but nothing fresh, for which I was grateful.

Nessie caught sight of Emmett then. She pulled away from my arms to turn to him, her shoulders slumped in defeat. She stepped up to Emmett, put out a hand as if to touch him, but then let her hand drop. "Oh, God, Emmett, I'm so sorry," she whispered. Emmett was entirely still, his eyes unfocused as he processed what she was trying to say with unspoken words. We were all shocked into motionlessness.

"Show me," he whispered even softer and held out his hand. She reached hers out to him, and we all crowded around her to touch her and share in the vision.

I saw the Hummers arriving and the fire from the hilltop. Edward and I exchanged a look as we saw the wolves chase Nessie down the path, both of us thinking back to my conversation with Billy Black. The soldiers surprised me, but then seeing the beautiful twisted face of Jane through Nessie's eyes made my stomach knot. I heard Edward growl under his breath at her appearance. There was a sudden intake of breath from Emmett as we saw Rosalie scrabbling in the dirt under Jane's pain and then Jane flinging Rosalie into the blazing house.

Emmett broke away and Nessie pulled her hand away, sobbing harder. "I tried, I didn't know what to do," she wailed. Edward and I put our arms around her, trying to comfort her and reassure her that there was nothing she could have done.

Emmett took two steps away, facing the gorge. His whole body was strung as tight as when an archer pulls back the bowstring in the moments before an arrow's release. His fists clenched at his sides and suddenly he threw his head back and let out a roar, a howl, a cry of such grief and pain that it echoed back from the hills at us. It drove a flock of birds from their nesting place in the trees and they rose in the grey light and wheeled away as one.

It seemed the echo came back at us again and again, as if the hills themselves were groaning with pain and loss. We were immobile in the silence that followed and then Emmett seemed to collapse in on himself. He fell to his knees and his head dropped to his chest.

My chest ached with inexpressible tears and suddenly I wished I could cry, as if that would let out some of the heartache that was trapped inside. Carlisle stepped closer to Nessie, murmuring, "Come to the car, Nessie and let me take a look at that arm."

"No!" Nessie cried, pulling away from Carlisle. "Jacob! Jacob is down by the river, he needs you!"

"Where?" Edward and I exclaimed together.

Nessie ran over to the edge of the gorge and pointed down to the rock-strewn beach. I could just barely make out a tail from behind a rock.

Carlisle grabbed Nessie by the shoulders. "How badly is he hurt, Nessie?" Carlisle asked, his calm authoritative voice reaching through Nessie's despair.

"He's burned badly, a lot of broken bones," Nessie sniveled. "He hasn't been awake."

"Edward, get my bag from the car and follow me down," Carlisle ordered and then he flipped over the edge of the cliff. I watched as he went swiftly down the cliff face, almost spider-like, finding handholds and toeholds where none seemed to be. He jumped the last thirty feet and ran over where Jacob lay. Edward was behind him in a flash, holding the bag with just two fingers as he crawled down the cliff face.

I held Nessie's shoulders as she shuddered with emotion, watching Carlisle and Edward crouch over the unconscious wolf. Edward called up to me, "We need something we can use as a stretcher."

I glanced around and the residue of the house seemed most promising. I strode over to the blackened remains. Emmett was beside me, then. He pulled a charred door out of its frame. With a somber face and eyes that looked a thousand years old, he turned to me and said, "This should do it."

I put my hand to his face, our shared grief leaving me speechless. He leaned into my hand, his eyes closed. Loss and sadness wrapped around us like a blanket, it was only being together that made it bearable. We stood like that for a moment, drenched in grief, before Emmett turned away.

Renesmee and I watched, with our arms around each other, as the men brought Jacob up from below. They set him gently in the back of the SUV. "How is he?" I asked Carlisle.

"Well, I've given him a shot of antibiotics to try to stop any infection." Carlisle frowned. "I need him to wake up and change back into human form. I'll feel more confident treating him when I can predict his anatomy."

We heard the sounds of a car traveling up the driveway. Carlisle turned to survey our group. "Bella, give Renesmee your jacket. Edward, Emmett, close up the SUV."

I helped Renesmee with my jacket; she winced as she moved her hurt arm through the sleeve.

A black and white car with the seal of Alaska on the door came into view, carrying a single occupant. An older man, once muscled but now gone soft, got out of the car wearing a state uniform.

"Hello, folks," he nodded.

Carlisle strode forward to meet him. "Hello, I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen and this is my family. We're from Washington, but flew up as soon as we heard of the fire. We are friends of Kate and Tanya."

"Hello. I'm State Fire Marshall Clement. Would you know who was home last night?" he asked Carlisle.

"I believe it was Kate and Tanya and a member of our family, Rosalie Hale," Carlisle said. "Two other family members are traveling in South America, but we've contacted them and they should be here by tomorrow. Has there been any word on survivors?"

"I am sorry, folks," he said as he pulled the hat from his head. "We found no survivors. We did find a body, a young female, just outside the house. Looks like burns were the cause of death, but the coroner has her now. Some kind of calcification occurred though, the body was as hard as stone."

Emmett jerked almost imperceptibly behind me. All of us suddenly held the same hope and the same fear. Could it be Rosalie? Her injuries must be terrible if she had been rendered so catatonic they had taken her to the morgue.

"I'd been treating Rosalie for scleroderma," Carlisle said. "That might explain it."

"Well, she must have had a severe case of it; I've never seen anything like it." He scuffed his feet and then peered at Carlisle. "The way the fire progressed, we are thinking some kind of accelerant might have been used. Are you aware of any one who might have held a grudge, maybe an ex-boyfriend or some such?"

"No, I can't think of anyone like that. But I will certainly contact your office if I should recollect or hear any information."

"It was a busy night last night," Clement said. "First this, then an hour later we had a car fire down the highway. Another Hummer like the one in the yard. It had California plates and four bodies inside. Seemed likely they might be connected."

"Well, that is odd," Carlisle said. "I can't think of any reason why someone would do something so violent to Kate and Tanya. They were a very gentle and loving family. We'd like to identify and claim the victim's remains. Where would they have taken her?"

"Fairbanks Memorial," Clement replied. "Just follow Route 3 north. You'll see the hospital signs."

"Well, thank you, Officer. We'll go then," Carlisle indicated.

He turned and the rest of us followed his example and got in the car. Edward grabbed the wheel with Emmett riding shotgun. Carlisle sat next to Renesmee in the back seat, and murmured, "Once we get out to the highway, Nessie, I want to take a look at your arm. In the meantime…" He pulled some pills from his case and shook a couple into her hand.

Emmett twisted in the front seat to turn to Carlisle. His face held more fear than I could ever remember seeing in Emmett. Almost not daring to hope, he croaked, "Carlisle, do you think…?"

"We'll have to see, Emmett," Carlisle said compassionately, trying to answer Emmett's unspoken question. "Let's rent some lodging so we can leave Jacob to rest with Bella and Nessie, then I'll take you and Edward to the hospital. You may be posing as orderlies."

We rented a cabin outside of Fairbanks and brought Jacob in unseen. Carlisle left us with instructions on caring for Jacob, and then they were off. I urged Renesmee to take the first shower; nothing can help an attitude, even grief, like hot water. I looked through the bag I had packed hastily last night in Forks, finding some clean clothes that wouldn't be insanely big on her, and left them in the bathroom for her to change into.

I was surprised when she came out of the bathroom, her hair slicked back. "My clothes fit you," I said, taken aback. Seven years, and she was full grown.

She looked down at herself. "Yes, I guess they do."

She had new bandages on her wounds and thankfully it blocked most of the smell. I was still enough of a newborn that the smell of blood, any blood, was a distraction. She sat down on the bed next to me, and I put my arm around her shoulders and kissed her hair. She leaned her head against me and sighed. "I don't think I could cry another tear. My tear ducts have been running overtime."

"Be grateful you can cry," I murmured. "It's a release I've missed."

She straightened up and looked me in the eyes. "Mom, I saw Leah there."

"Leah? Leah Clearwater?" I exclaimed.

She nodded and held out her hand. I pressed it to my face and watched the dark river flowing by as a figure crouched on the riverbank. She replayed their conversation.

I moved her hand from my face and cupped it in both of mine. "I don't know what she's gotten herself mixed up in. I spoke with Billy Black several days ago and he had said there was some dissension within the tribe."

"What's going on, Mom?" she asked, concern clouding her face.

"I don't know, sweetheart, but we'll find out." I placed my hand on her face and saw her sway with tiredness. "You must be exhausted," I said. "Why don't you crawl under the covers and rest for a while?"

"Stay with me while I fall asleep?" she asked, as she slipped between the covers.

"Of course," I assured her. She hadn't asked me to do that in years. The guilt stabbed me again as I realized how traumatic the night had been for her.

I stayed with her until her breathing was deep and regular. I checked on Jacob, who still seemed under, and then headed for some attitude renewal myself.

A/N Please review! I could really use the encouragement.


	12. Chapter 12 Phase

**Renesmee**

I woke up to the sounds of car doors slamming. In my dream, Jane had just gotten out of a Hummer and was approaching me, her face twisted into a sadistic smile. Fire was burning all around us. She came closer and her red eyes started to grow impossibly larger and larger. I was paralyzed with fear as she crooned my name and reached for me with a claw-like hand.

I woke up with a start, my heart pounding and the hair at the back of my neck damp with sweat. I took several deep breaths, trying to shake off the fear and dread that had my heart pounding. It was daylight out, and the clock said four, so I must have been asleep for a while.

Hearing Edward's and Emmett's voices downstairs, I sprang out of bed, anxious for news of how Rosalie and Jacob were faring. I raced downstairs as Emmett carried a shroud covered body into the bedroom where Jacob occupied one of the twin beds.

Bella put an arm around my shoulders as I watched Carlisle and Edward follow Emmett into the small room.

"Did they get her?" I asked Bella anxiously, meaning Rosalie.

"Yes," she answered softly. "Carlisle is examining her now."

"How is Jacob?"

"No change yet," she said tenderly as she pushed a stray tendril from my face.

We gathered around the door to the small room where Carlisle sat on the bed next to Rosalie, blocking our view of her. Emmett leaned on the other side of the bed, hovering over Rosalie anxiously.

Carlisle looked up at Emmett. "Her injuries have temporarily rendered her catatonic. With some healing, she'll come out of it. Even with the best care, it will take months before she is completely herself again."

Emmett said seriously, "She will get the best care." There was no room for doubt in his voice.

"She needs blood, human blood," Carlisle said. "Injuries of this kind demand it to fuel regeneration. Animal blood won't be enough to promote healing."

Emmett stood up, his face set. "Then that's what she'll get." He took a step towards the door.

"Now wait, Emmett," Carlisle said. "Before you go tearing up the neighborhood, I have some. While the Cullen Funeral Home orderlies were getting Rosalie from the morgue, I borrowed some supplies."

He crossed the room to where a small cooler was on the desk. I saw Rosalie then, and it took all my control not to gasp or cry out. Her beautiful honey blond hair was gone, and the left side of her face drooped, almost as if she had melted, like a wax doll that had been held too close to a flame.

Her left arm, positioned outside of the sheet covering her, looked as if it had been eaten away in parts, and where her hand had been was a shapeless lump of white flesh. Judging by the sheet that covered her, her left leg had suffered the same.

Carlisle pulled out a bag of red liquid that I recognized as blood. Tearing at it gently, he sat down on the bed and let a few drops trickle onto Rosalie's lips. We all waited, hung in suspense, to see if she would take it. There was no reaction from her and Emmett's face started to cloud over. Carlisle let a few more drips fall. Almost imperceptibly, her mouth opened a millimeter, letting the small pool of blood in. There was a small action in her throat as she swallowed.

Emmett's eyes grew large. "She took it," he whispered to Carlisle, smiling. He stood up with his hands on his hips, his relief palpable. "That's my Rosie!" he said, proudly.

We all exchanged smiles and the tension in the room eased considerably. Edward clapped his hand on Emmett's shoulder and Emmett grinned at him. Carlisle gave the plasma bag to Emmett, who took it gingerly. "Is this going to bother you, Emmett?" Carlisle asked, concerned about the effect the smell of the blood might have on him.

"Not at all," Emmett assured him. "This is Rose's medicine."

Carlisle gave him instructions on administering a few drops every ten minutes or so and brushed between us to walk to the bathroom, where we heard the sounds of him washing his hands. He came out drying his hands on a towel.

"I am concerned about Jacob," he said to Bella and me as Edward came up behind us. "I'd like to administer intravenous fluids, but I'd rather he was in his human form to do it." He checked his watch. "Well, I'll give him a few more hours and then we'll have to take some action, regardless."

The rest of the afternoon passed slowly. Bella ran out to a nearby store and brought me some bottled water and some sandwich makings. I drank the water gratefully but the sandwich tasted like cardboard and I couldn't bring myself to choke it down.

Edward took the SUV to drive into Fairbanks to pick up Alice, Jasper and Esme from the airport. They had finally returned to the States from Italy and I knew we would all feel better when the family was together and whole again. Edward had just left when Carlisle came up to me and said, I'd like your help with Jacob, Nessie." His face held compassion and hope.

"Of course," I said, "whatever you need from me."

He led me to Jacob's bed. Even with the wounds I marveled at what a magnificent animal Jacob was. I would do anything, I knew in my heart, anything to help him

.

Carlisle looked at me, a serious expression on his face. "I want you to try to reach him with your images. Try to let him see we are here, caring for him, but we need him to phase back into human form. If you see him start phasing, step back quickly and give him room, yes?"

I nodded my understanding.

The smell of singed fur was still strong. I gently ran my hand a few times across his soft furry head, my heart full of feelings for him. I placed my hand where his throat met his jaw and summoned my ability. I showed him how I had found him down by the river, how he had been brought up out of the gorge, how Carlisle had brought him gently to this bed. I showed him what Carlisle had said about needing him to phase to human form so he could treat him.

I held my hand on him and watched his face for any response. There was just the slow regular breathing as before. I didn't really mean to show my next thoughts to Jacob, but they were so strong in my mind, I felt them before I could stop them. I saw the way he had looked at me when we were watching the eagles. I saw him help me down the path to the river and his warm brown hand surrounding mine. I saw his face in the darkness of the night as we talked on the hill by the telescope.

Suddenly, his form started to shimmer under my hand. I jumped back from the bed. This time the phasing took much longer than what I had seen before. His wolf form started to shake and I could see the barest outline of a human form, but then the wolf was back stronger. Another huge shudder and achingly slowly the wolf form shrank and morphed into human. He was on his side, his black hair splayed around his head, his long brown form curled slightly. There were huge angry blisters in the skin on his side, curling around to his stomach. Compared to the mass he had as a werewolf, even his large impressive human form looked somehow small and vulnerable.

I stepped back as Bella and Carlisle bustled around the bed, tossing a sheet over his nakedness, putting a pillow under his head, setting up an IV drip. With a groan Jacob rolled from his side to his back. He grimaced without opening his eyes when his damaged arm hit the bed beside him.

Carlisle hung over Jacob, inserting a needle in his arm. Jacob slowly opened his eyes and watched Carlisle's face as he worked. He barely moved his lips, but I heard, "Thirsty."

Carlisle stopped to look into Jacob's face. "Jacob, it's good to see you awake," he said in that inimitable bedside manner. He looked back at me, "Would you get a bottle of water?"

I ran to the kitchen and was back immediately. "Give him just a very small sip," Carlisle instructed.

I approached Jacob, whose eyes never left me as I slid my arm under his head and brought the bottle to his lips. I gave him a small sip and laid his head back on the pillow.

"We've been so worried about you." I told him, my eyes starting to tear. I was just so relieved he was going to be alright, I had to swallow the lump in my throat.

"I didn't make it back," he said hoarsely, referring to the promise he had made me on the hilltop before running down to the firefight.

I didn't know what to say to that. He laid there, badly hurt and he was worried about me. I stroked his forehead.

His eyes wandered over me, stopping at the bandage on my arm. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. Yes, I am," I said, blinking back the tears.

His eyes moved around the room to where Bella was standing by the end of the bed. She reached out and touched his foot. "Jacob, Carlisle says you're going to be fine."

Jacob's eyes fell to the other side of the room where Emmett had pulled a chair up to Rosalie's bed. "Hey wolfman," Emmett said with a broad grin, "glad you're still here."

Jacob's eyes took in Rosalie in the next bed, still, burnt and unmoving. "Rosalie?" he asked Carlisle roughly.

Carlisle put his hand on Jacob's shoulder. "She'll take longer to heal than you, but she'll come through," he reassured him.

Carlisle straightened up and fiddled with the IV drip. "In the meantime, rest. I've given you some morphine for the pain, but it will make you sleepy."

As if on cue, Jacob's eyes closed and his head fell to the side.

A/N Please review! Reviews are my sustenance-please feed me!


	13. Chapter 13 Lies

**Leah**

My team had gotten different instructions from Colonel Freed for the gig in Alaska. We were to man the perimeter and make sure no one escaped. It was a bit of a slap in the face; I thought we'd been doing quite well for a new team. We'd had close to a near perfect success rate on our targets. I guessed it was somewhat understandable though, after what had happened in Egypt. There, two of the four targets had escaped. Colonel Freed said he had a special group of soldiers with some new weapons going in for the kill, but he wasn't forthcoming with many details. It was all part of a larger plan geared toward extermination of vampires, he told us. If the new weapons were successful, he'd be able to expand our unit.

It was already dark when we arrived at the target house in Denali. I had Solomon and Perry run the northeast perimeter while Jimmy and Evan ran the southeast and Del held the eastern most position. I was holding the west where a steep gorge provided a natural boundary. I saw the firefight start from my position below in the gorge. It was a pretty imposing weapon, whatever was causing the flames up there. The explosion echoing off the hills surrounding the coven house was impressive.

As the firefight started, we pulled our positions closer, on the alert for escapees. _We've got someone,_ Solomon and Perry reported. Through their eyes I saw a young female, her back turned to them. They weren't recognizing the smell. Not a vampire? Why would a human be hanging around a coven house? Obviously, a very stupid human or perhaps it was a random hiker?

Well, this posed a problem. I didn't want to kill an innocent, but was she part of the coven in some manner? Let our support team deal with this, I decided. I instructed Solomon and Perry to bring her halfway down the mountain where they could hand her off.

I phased into human form and radioed Captain Geary, the point man for our support team. He said he'd get to the hand-off point as soon as he could. The poor guy sounded pretty shaken, unusual for someone who posed as hard-bitten as he did. The supernatural can do that to people, though, and this was probably the first time he'd seen vampires up close.

It occurred to me that I might be more use monitoring the top of the gorge, so I scaled the gorge wall in human form. I topped the gorge and as luck would have it, I was downwind of the fight. That also meant the air was filled with the burning acidic smell of vampire making my nose sting with the strength of it.

There were three vampires walking around, where I expected to see soldiers. Were these our target? Where were our soldiers? I spotted Captain Geary and the others sitting in one of two hummers perched on the lawn. A third hummer was upside down, burning like hellfire. Anger was my first reaction as I realized they were sitting in a car while the vampires were running free.

Where were the goddamn vampire-killing soldiers that were supposed to be here?

I spotted a fourth vampire on the ground. A gust of wind brought her smell to me, one I recognized instantly. That was Rosalie Cullen. What was she doing here? Having a Cullen here could spell trouble for the treaty.

Then Jacob Black came tearing out of the woods, in his wolf form. I recognized him immediately. He attacked the male vampire and the two of them started squaring off against each other. I realized Jacob was defending Rosalie against these other vampires. Confusion and concern warred inside me as I watched him, when suddenly clarity cleared my mind.

_Oh no._ Those bloodsuckers, they were Colonel Freed's soldiers. It all started falling together. The girl on the hill, that had to be Renesmee. Jacob, Rosalie and whoever had lived in this house were fighting the vampires that Colonel Freed had sent. _Holy fucking shit._

This wasn't about getting rid of the leeches; this was a full blown vampire war. The stand-offs I'd seen in Forks had never come to bloody violence, but something had changed. The gloves were off now; vampires were dying. My stomach lurched as I realized my pack and I were being used as pawns in it. We'd been recruited into playing some kind of unwitting role in a battle between bloodsuckers. I gasped at the enormity with which I'd been played. I swallowed the lump in my throat and fought back the nausea which threatened to overwhelm me.

I knew Jacob Black well; I'd been in his pack for a while. His loyalty to the Cullens was misguided, but I knew if he was on one side, and the vampires I was supposedly working with were on the other, then I was pretty sure I was on the goddamn wrong side.

Colonel Freed. His face flashed in front of my eyes. More lies, more stinking lies. The pit of my stomach tightened until there was a hot burning ball sitting in it.

Jacob feinted and dodged around the vampire, the glow from the fires uniting them in a demonic dance. The vampire tripped over Rosalie's thrashing figure, and Jacob swooped in on top of him. With a flick of his head, he beheaded the fallen vampire. I fought the urge to stand up and hooray.

My sense of victory was short-lived however, as I saw a fireball come out of nowhere to splatter against Jacob. Still he sprang towards the other female vampire but with a swift kick, she caught him full in the chest and he went sailing off the edge of the gorge.

I turned from my hiding place and scaled down the gorge in record time. Jacob was on the beach by the river, knocked completely unconscious. He laid crumpled in a ball, the flames still dancing around his fur. Using my hands, I splashed the river water on him. I looked at his forelegs, impossibly twisted. Well, while he was unconscious, I might as well try to straighten him out, before the rapid healing process began. I laid him on his side and gently pulled his legs straight.

I phased into wolf form. _We've got problems._

Del was sitting up on the east hill above the house, watching the inferno. _Looks like it's going great to me. Did you see those fireballs? Cool or what? _

_You idiot! This is not what it appears. We're in the middle of a freaking vampire war. Pull back! Pull back now. I'll meet you all at the rendezvous point in 30 minutes. _

I felt the pack's confusion and distress as I phased back to my human self. I had some huge problems on my hands, not the least being what I was going to do about Jacob. I looked at him crumpled at my feet. I couldn't just leave him here.

I cursed Jacob in my mind. If he hadn't been so cozy with the Cullens, this wouldn't have happened. When was he going to face the truth about our species? I ran through the options in my mind, but I came up with nothing. I heard some faint sounds from the south.

Back into wolf form. _Jimmy, Evan, report!_

_Sirens. Fire trucks on their way._

_Jacob Black is here. He's been wounded. I need to get him to help._

_That leechlover?_ Solomon's voice rang disparagingly in my head. _Leave him where he is, I say._

_Goddamn you, Solomon. He's a Quileute!_

I felt Solomon wince at my vehemence. Uncharacteristically, Evan spoke up in Solomon's defense. _Not the way I see it. He's a traitor. He's been kissing Cullen ass so long his nose is brown._

_So, you'd leave him here to die? He's a second or third cousin to almost all of us. This is how you treat a member of your family?_

Solomon's thoughts got sullen._ He's been asking for it._

I surveyed quickly the minds of the rest of the pack. The tenor of all their thoughts ran along those lines. I was deeply disappointed in their attitudes and they all saw it, with varying degrees of shame. Loyalty to the tribe was paramount in my book. Had I misjudged the depth of their resentment toward the Cullens? Was it just the Cullens or was it resentment toward Jacob?

My thoughts were cut short as I caught whiff of a familiar scent. That was Renesmee's scent, not as bad as her parents, but still with an acrid tang. She obviously thought she was being cautious as she picked her way up the rocky beach, but her scent gave her away immediately. I couldn't believe how tall she had gotten. The kid couldn't be older than what six, seven years? She was as tall as I was.

She was Jacob's imprint. Good, problem solved. She could take care of Jacob. She could call that grandfather doctor of hers. I phased back into human and hissed her name.

She was dazed and confused, obviously. I told her to get Jacob to Carlisle as soon as she could and turned to go. She called out to me as I turned. "Leah, what are you doing here?"

_Obviously, not what I had thought._ "I'm beginning to wonder about that myself. This was never about you or your family. I am sorry you all were here, we didn't plan it this way."

"Plan what? Leah, where have you been? Everyone's been worried—"

"Listen, Renesmee, this battle has been going on for centuries. We've been sparing your family, but lines are being drawn. Tell Jacob the day is coming when he's going to have to make a choice." That was as much as I could give her.

I ran back to our rendezvous point and dressed quickly before the rest of the pack showed up. They gradually straggled out of the woods, buttoning up and tucking in their shirts. Solomon and Evan wouldn't meet my eyes. I attributed it to the guilt over their shameful treatment of Jacob Black. You just don't do that to a fellow Quileute.

I had them drop me off at the airport and told them to drive back to San Francisco. I was going the fast way; I needed to get back there fast. I needed to have a conversation with Colonel Freed that wouldn't wait.

I flashed my Special Forces papers and commandeered a helicopter out of Fairbanks. I was back in San Francisco by morning. With each hour that had passed, I found the burning pit in my stomach getting hotter and hotter. I strode down the hallways of Halcyon, allowing myself to feel the anger more with each step that brought me closer to Freed's office. I burst into the room to find him sitting behind his desk. When I saw his deceitful, devious face, I couldn't contain the explosion of my anger any longer.

"You cocksucking son of a bitch!" I roared as I slammed my hand on the desk. "What game are you playing?"

"Leah, welcome home," he said, trying to remain calm. I could smell his fear, though. In fact, as I inhaled again, I caught another scent, an acrid burning smell that only a vampire would leave behind. _Of course, fucking perfect_.

I grabbed a chair and yelling, slung it through the window, where it shattered the plate glass into a million pieces. I turned to him and placed my hands on his desk and leaned into his face. I'd gotten past the white hot anger, now it was turning cold. "You want to tell me what the fuck vampires were doing in Alaska, on our side?"

"L-Leah," he stuttered, "why don't you have a seat and I'll explain." He gestured to the remaining chair on this side of the desk.

"No, I won't sit down and listen to more of your bullshit. What lies do you have for me today, Colonel?" I looked in his frightened eyes and all I saw was a weak man looking to protect himself. "Special group of soldiers, isn't that what you told me? They were fucking vamps, Colonel. You're sending us in with bloodsuckers to kill other bloodsuckers?"

I turned away from him, watching as the bits of shatterproof glass swayed with the sudden breeze. "This has been a lie from the beginning, hasn't it?"

Freed stood up, but remained cautiously behind his desk. "Come on, Leah, don't be naïve. You got what you wanted, a good paycheck and a chance to kill vampires. Isn't that what you were after?"

I hated being played. "Not if it meant helping some other leeches!" I turned to look at him. "What did they promise you? Money?"

He just stood there, hands on his hips.

"Immortality? A chance to be just like them?" I shook my head. "Do you really think that'll happen? Now who's being naïve?" A thought struck me. I remembered what Mary in Boston had said. _"Caius sent you, didn't he?"_ _she had snarled._ I studied Freed. "It's Caius."

I saw him blanch under his tanned face. He looked down at the desk and touched the papers there. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"He's the one pulling your strings. He's been here in this office. The stench is sickening." I turned to the door. "You're on the wrong side." I grabbed the doorknob. "Don't count on Team Lupus anymore. We'll be resigning immediately."

"Don't say 'we', Leah." He lifted his chin. "It seems your pack doesn't have the same exceptions that you do."

"What?" I whispered.

"I got off the phone with them an hour ago. They're fine with it. Solomon's ready to be Alpha."

I sucked in my breath through my clenched teeth. I felt like I'd been sucker-punched. Those foolish, reckless idiots. Didn't they realize they were being conned, by vampires no less? That they'd been sucked into some kind of vampire war, and they were likely on the wrong side?

I gritted my teeth. "We'll see about that," I said grimly as I yanked the door open and stormed out.


	14. Chapter 14 Meeting

**A/N **It's time to hear from Alice!

**Alice**

It was near sunset when we arrived in Fairbanks. We saw Edward leaning against the far wall of the gate area as we disembarked from the plane. His tall, dark, good looks were getting the usual amount of attention by the female and even some male passers-by. I could note, however, the toll the stress of the past day's events had taken on him by the dark circles and tiny stress lines around his eyes.

Esme led us over to him and gently laid her hand on his face. Her pale loveliness radiated compassion and concern.

His eyes softened as he gazed at her. "I'm fine," he answered to her unspoken question. "We picked up Rosalie from the hospital and Carlisle says she's going to be fine, but it will take some time."

I felt a twinge of guilt hit me, and I wished I had been able to warn my family before this had happened.

"Don't apologize, Alice. It's not something you could have foreseen," Edward reassured me.

Jasper said, "we have a lot of information the family has to talk about."

I laid my hand on Jasper's arm. "There will be a family meeting tomorrow morning. In the meantime, I'll be grateful for the chance to hunt."

Edward led us out of the terminal and to a red SUV. On the way back to the cabin, we told Edward what we had seen in Volterra, which he knew in part from Carlisle, and he gave us an update on the events since we had heard from Bella earlier.

"I am just stunned at the werewolves getting involved with this," I said. "Does this mean the treaty is broken? Are we sure they were Quileutes?"

"Bella said that Billy was concerned about a group of well, 'young-bloods' was his term," Edward said moodily. "I won't believe the elders sanctioned this behavior.

"Does Jacob know about their involvement?" Jasper asked him.

"I don't think so; he was still unconscious when I left."

"Well, I can't ever imagine Jacob allowing anything that might hurt Renesmee, or any of us for that matter. He has risked himself for our benefit too many times," Esme said firmly. "Caius and Jane are the real threat."

Edward growled and inadvertently mangled his armrest in his frustration. "Jane is going to come gunning for Bella," he choked out. "I know it. Jane hates to be bested at anything. I've never felt such fury as when Aro ordered the withdrawal from the field in Forks. Her mind was incoherent with rage."

"Jane is just a tool for Caius," Jasper opined, his dark eyes flashing. "There is a larger strategy being built here, what with the involvement of the Quileutes and humans. Jane is a blunt tool, a sledgehammer. She's incapable of the kind of subtle positioning that is going on."

Esme turned from her seat in the front. "It was Aro that held the Volturi together. He at least held to the pretense of morality. Caius will have no such qualms. Look at the destruction they have caused so far," Esme said, shaking her head with disgust.

"It's making sense why I can't see Caius," I realized. "If he is using the werewolves, they would block my abilities." I was grateful to have some explanation for the lapse in my abilities. I'd become very dependent on my visions, and the information they provided for the safety of the whole family.

The sun was setting as we arrived at the cabin. We weren't the only new arrivals; Carmen and Eleazar had arrived as well. They were aware of the sad news and subdued with grief over the loss of Tanya and Kate. They volunteered to stay with Rosalie and Jacob while the rest of us went hunting. Emmett, reluctant to leave Rosalie at all, finally agreed, when it was decided he could stay close by; there were recent deer tracks in the field behind our cabin. The rest of us split into two groups, one going north and one south so we could dilute the effects of our hunting on any one population.

It was not the best night for hunting; the showers came and went all night. Jasper and I went with Carlisle and Esme south to Denali. As the windshield wipers on the car beat time to the misty rain falling in the night, I told them what happened when we had arrived in New York, having flown from Italy by coffin.

"We'd arrived in the New York hangar and I heard the forklift put Jasper's crate next to mine. Well, Jasper has no patience with this kind of thing." I looked over at him to see him smiling at me, his golden curls gleaming softly in the darkness. "He blasted through his coffin and crate, wood splintering and crashing everywhere. Always the gentlemen, he started dismantling the crate around mine, to help me out. Interrupted by some workers, who'd heard the noise, he slips behind some boxes to wait and see what they'll do."

Carlisle turned off into a dirt road that looked seldom used. Esme had heard this story already, so she was smiling.

"I heard the workers come up to the coffin where I was lying, and they're spooked by the whole thing. One of them worked up enough courage, though, to open the lid on my coffin. They're staring at me, while I have my eyes closed and my hands composed in the classic corpse way. I heard one of them whisper "wow" and he reached out to touch me. So I threw my eyes open and glared at him."

Jasper continued, "They both jumped back five feet, and fell flat on their asses. The coffin lid snapped shut and the two of them got up and ran yelling for the exit. Definitely hilarious."

Carlisle threw back his head to guffaw and the rest of us chimed in. "Ah, it feels good to

laugh," he said.

Esme smiled at him and grabbed his hand. "I missed you," she murmured. He smiled back and touched her face.

Carlisle brought the car to a stop and turned off the engine . He made no move to exit the car and we sat in the dark, listening to the rain on the car roof. Carlisle bowed his head over the steering wheel, his sudden pensive mood affecting all of us. "As much as I have disagreed with the Volturi, once there was a time when they were noble. When I was young, they were models of culture and refinement. It's painful to see them have fallen so far." I'd never heard such heartache in his voice. "There is so little that can kill us. Yet the vast majority of us die at the hands of each other." There was a world of loss in his voice. It reminded me how old Carlisle actually was. He'd seen centuries come and go.

We were quiet, respecting his feelings of grief. He sighed. "So much change. That seems the only constant in this existence."

The sounds of the night forest surrounded us. There was the faint patter as moisture fell from the wet leaves to the forest floor and the sounds of small creatures rustling through the underbrush.

Carlisle raised his head. "The herd is close by," he commented. "Shall we?"

We split up, then. Esme and Carlisle headed off to the grasslands after the caribou, but Jasper caught scent of some black bears by the river, which we found soon after.

We finished our meal and started back to the car. Jasper was silent, his face pensive. "Tell me, Jazz," I urged him.

He pulled me around so we faced one another. Grabbing my hands with his own, he brought them to his mouth to kiss them. "I've been thinking about what happened to Kate and Tanya. It makes me realize, we think we have forever, but we don't. Even for us, time is not an unlimited commodity." His golden eyes bored into mine. "We may have long lives, longer than humans, but we face the same end, the same unknown darkness." He gathered me in his arms. I fit my head into my favorite spot on his shoulder as I wrapped my arms around his solid torso.

"I think of my life before I met you and it was cold and hollow, filled with death. Do you know how much you have resurrected me?" He kissed the top of my head. "I couldn't go on without you. There's much I could bear, but not losing you." He hugged me tighter. "Never losing you," he whispered.

"For as long as you are, then I am by your side," I promised him softly.

He raised my chin with his finger. "I'm holding you to that," he vowed with a grin.

I raised my hand to his face and laid my hand along his cheek. He twisted to kiss my palm. "My sun god," I whispered to him.

"My gypsy queen," he whispered back. His smile reached his eyes, and I giggled as he lifted me off my feet.

***

We returned to the house to find Edward, Bella, and Renesmee had already returned. Edward's face was particularly grim, as was Renesmee's. Bella looked lost and torn between the two. It was obvious that there had been some kind of disagreement between father and daughter, and mother felt stuck in the middle. It wasn't strong enough to be a vision; perhaps it was just gut instinct that told me the possible cause for the conflict was the person snoring in the bed next to Rosalie.

Bella and I had discussed Jacob's imprinting on Renesmee. I knew she felt conflicted about a possible romantic relationship developing between the two. She still felt so guilty for breaking Jacob's heart when she had been human, and she wished for him to be happy as she would a brother. She had seen firsthand how joyful a relationship could be between imprinted couples. She had described the intense love and connections she had seen between Sam and Emily, Jared and Kim.

But she had had so little time with Renesmee as a child, she was hoping that the whole imprinting question would be years away. Like every mother, she was reluctant to admit to her child's growing independence. Especially, since she'd had only one-third of the usual allotment before a child matured as an adult. Nessie was the only child any of us were ever likely to have a relationship with; we all loved and cherished her. Bella didn't want Jacob to take Renesmee away from us, but would Jacob come with us when we moved as we inevitable had to?

Edward on the other hand, was very firm about keeping Renesmee under his wing, regardless of any imprinting that may have occurred. He was hoping that when the family moved, now just days away, that Jacob stayed behind. I think deep in his heart he wanted Renesmee to have a human life and that didn't include any kind of supernatural beings. Whereas Bella always trusted Jacob absolutely, in Edward's mind, there were always doubts.

Jasper surprised me. When we had discussed the matter privately, he had said that there was such a strong pull between Jacob and Renesmee, it seemed almost tangible to him, like the field that kept two stars circling each other. He'd seen the same thing between Edward and Bella, and hoped that Renesmee would find the same kind of happiness that her parents had. "Love is a rare enough thing in this world," he had said to me one evening as we were walking the woods. "We should celebrate it and nourish it wherever it's found." Was it any wonder I loved him so?

The sun was rising as Carlisle gathered us in the living room. I'd assured Carlisle that Garrett would be here soon; I'd seen him headed towards Alaska earlier and Esme had phoned him to tell him where we were.

Carlisle stood poised in front of the large fireplace that dominated the room. With the rest of us scattered around the room, Emmett shared the sofa with Carmen and Eleazar. At Carlisle's request, Nessie came to where they sat, her face somber. "Mi corazón," Carmen murmured softly to Nessie as she knelt beside them. Carmen's hair was so black, the highlights shone almost blue against her petite olive features.

Carmen brushed a tendril away from Nessie's face. "So young, so beautiful and so brave." She placed a hand on Nessie's face while Eleazar took her hand. The two of them bowed their heads as Nessie showed them what she had seen of the fight at Kate and Tanya's, and her own narrow escape afterwards.

"Shape shifters and humans wrapped up in this?" Eleazar questioned Carlisle. "How odd." His eyes shifted towards the room where Jacob and Rosalie lay.

Edward answered his unspoken thought. "Jacob had no knowledge of their part in this, and, in fact, acted bravely to try to save Kate and Tanya. They were seriously outgunned."

"I'll say," Eleazar said. "They were lucky to have come away at all."

"Jasper," Carlisle called. "Not everyone has heard of your experience in Italy. Would you?"

Jasper straightened from where he'd been leaning on the wall. In a brief, almost military style, he reported how we'd gone to Volterra based on my vision, how we'd found the castle and our conversation with Marcus.

Eleazar got up and started pacing. "Caius, what a cowardly dog he is," he snorted disdainfully. "He was always the one pushing for rules, investigating rule breakers and instituting punishment. A petty man, unhappy sharing power."

"It wasn't always that way," Carlisle said. "When I first came to know Aro, Marcus and Caius, they were thoughtful and moderate. I was impressed by their generosity and love of knowledge." He sighed. "But something changed. Marcus wrapped himself in apathy, and Aro became a collector of talents, frightened of his own death. He gathered the guard around him and corrupted them to his own personal goals. Caius became bitter as the power balance shifted away from the three of them equally. Aro became the only one whose opinion counted. Aro still went through the rituals and courtesy of courting the others' opinions, but there was no doubt who was making the decisions."

Carmen stood up. "Well, Caius is making them now, it sounds like. But where is he headed with this?"

It was then Garrett came through the door, shaking the rain off the pea coat he was wearing, the hat in his hand dripping.

Esme started towards him, "Garrett, welcome. Let me help you…"

"Wait, Esme." Garrett raised his hand. "I want to answer that question. Let me tell you where Caius is headed with this," he said grimly. "Genocide."

We were shocked into stillness. Garrett stood there with his hands on his hips, his eyebrows drawn into a fierce frown. His black eyes were tinged with crimson, I realized as he surveyed the room.

Carlisle spoke first. "A strong word."

"An appropriate word," Garrett argued as he stepped to the center of the room. "You haven't seen what's going on out there. The Romanians, gone." He started ticking off his fingers. "The Egyptians, scattered. Mary in Boston, gone. Peter and Charlotte, gone. Now, Kate and Tanya."

Jasper hissed through his teeth. "Peter and Charlotte?" They had been coven members together before we had met. I saw Bella and Edward exchange a wide-eyed glance.

Garrett looked over his shoulder at Jasper. He turned to face us. "I caught up with them in Atlanta. I spent a night with them in July. A week later, I went back. They were gone, the house was just cinders. No answer on their cell phones."

Bella whispered, "We tried to reach them, too. I saw this crazy article in the Star."

Emmett rose, his hands clenched at his sides. "This is all Caius' doing? Who is working with him?" he demanded hoarsely.

"Jane, Alec, Corin, Demetri, three or four others, from the information I have," Garrett answered dourly.

"It appears they've gained allies in other places," Carlisle informed him. He looked at Nessie, raising an eyebrow expectantly. She'd been sitting at Bella's feet, her arms wrapped around her knees, her head resting on her arms. She nodded

She started to rise, but stumbled and swayed. Bella was instantly there, her hand under Nessie's arm. "Carlisle, she's exhausted," Bella objected.

"I'm fine," Nessie protested, shaking off her mother's hand. "Let me do this." She walked over to Garrett.

She stood there before him, her slender body straight, her brown hair tumbling down her back in a curly mass, her cheeks tinged with color. She held out her palm.

Garrett looked at her, his face softening. "Renesmee," he acknowledged, "you've grown."

Edward's face turned down. The rumble of a growl started in his chest. Garrett looked at him. "I mean your daughter no harm, Edward. But I can see she's grown into her mother's beauty."

Bella tilted her head slightly, acknowledging the compliment. Edward's eyes narrowed, then he nodded once. Garrett placed his hand on Nessie's. He took a step back, startled as Nessie began, but soon leaned forward, his eyes closed.

We waited as the two of them were motionless. Garrett straightened and dropped Nessie's hand. "Thank you," he said, bowing slightly.

Nessie returned to Bella's chair and perched on the large sidearm. Edward possessively placed a hand on her shoulder.

Carlisle spoke. "We believe the werewolves are a rogue group from the main pack that Jacob is a part of. However, no matter how rogue they are, it's hard to imagine them being complicit with Caius. It's even harder to imagine Caius working directly with them; he's hated werewolves, and has hunted them nearly to extinction. Although there are differences between true werewolves and these shape shifters, I am thinking the humans are serving as some kind of intermediary."

Emmett was near the end of his patience. "Does it matter really how they are structured? We know who is behind this, isn't time we acted?"

Garrett shook his head. "You still aren't seeing the whole pattern. Anyone that stood with you in Forks seven years ago is being eliminated out of hand."

"They're taking down any possible allies," Jasper pronounced.

Garrett turned to him. "Exactly."

Garrett looked around the room. "Destroying your coven would be the credentials Caius needs to bring any other covens into line. You should all consider yourselves as having a big target drawn on your backs."

There was silence as we digested that startling statement. In that moment, I think we all felt a sense of vulnerability. I felt like I wanted to look over my shoulder to see if I was being watched. Esme clutched a hand to her throat. "What can we do to protect ourselves?"

"We're beyond sitting around, waiting for them to take potshots at us," Jasper said. "Carlisle, they're killing people out of hand. It's time they were stopped. We must act."

Emmett stood up. "Absolutely."

Eleazar and Carmen exchanged a glance. "Count us in," Eleazar said.

"I agree." Carlisle's face was somber. "It would be wrong for us to allow others to suffer for their friendship with us, and to disregard the threat to ourselves."

Edward cocked his head to one side as if listening. "Rosalie is conscious."

Emmett and Carlisle headed for the bedroom door. Garrett turned to Jasper. "You'll need to find them first. They've abandoned Volterra, and I have no news on where they're meeting."

Bella laid her hand on Renesmee's knee. "We can't go back to Forks now, can we?"

Jasper looked sympathetically at Bella. "That would certainly be the first place they'll come looking."

"Excuse me." Edward headed for the bedroom. "They're asking for me."

I tried sifting through the futures again. I still couldn't find a clear vision of Caius. His ability to confound me was eroding my confidence in his abilities. Suddenly, Jane came into focus. I felt some relief that I could be of use.

"Esme, call the Irish coven," I urged. "Jane is on her way there."

Esme eyes widened. "Any details?"

"She's meeting others to bring with her. No wolves this time. I'm guessing they'll have two days."

Esme pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, and punching in numbers, walked out towards the kitchen.

Garrett looked at me and cocked his head. "An advance warning system. Very convenient."

I grimaced. "Unfortunately, it has holes in it. Otherwise, Kate and Tanya would be here."

Jasper spoke up. "The werewolves can function as blockers. Renesmee, too."

Garrett spread his hands. "I know you would have done what you could, Alice. I didn't mean to imply otherwise." Garrett's eyes fell to the floor. "Did you know Kate and I had become close?"

"You made her happy," Carmen whispered. "Don't go there, Garrett. I know we're all thinking 'if we had only been there, it might be different."

"How is Rose?" I inquired as Edward and Carlisle returned from the bedroom.

Edward frowned. "Well, she's complaining about the dog smell in the room, so I'd say she's doing well."

"How is Jacob?" Nessie asked Carlisle.

Carlisle smiled at her. "He's awake. You can talk to him, if you'd like."

"Rosalie says she saw Alec destroyed," Edward reported as Renesmee left the room. "Jacob beheaded Demetri, but Jane gathered the pieces."

"Alec destroyed?" Eleazar asked. "I can't say I'm sad to see him go."

Bella's face brightened. "Demetri was beheaded?"

Carlisle shook his head. "He could knit together, Bella, but my experience says it would be at least two weeks."

Bella's eyes grew unfocused. "Two weeks," she whispered. She looked up at Edward, the two of them exchanging glances in an unspoken conversation.

Edward turned to Carlisle. "We must find a place where Rosalie can convalesce. We'll have two weeks that we can keep her safe and hidden, before Demetri becomes a threat again."

"We must hide Renesmee, too," Bella added. "I don't want her exposed to danger."

"Out of the country would be best," Jasper added. "The soldiers worry me."

"Isle Esme," Edward and I said together.

"Jacob, too," Bella said. "He can't fight in the shape he's in. "

Edward drew in a deep breath. "Bella, I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"Of course, it is." She glared at him. "Emmett will be there to take care of Rosalie. He can chaperone, if need be." Her voice made it clear she didn't think it would.

Jasper stepped to the middle of the room. "So we must find out how the government and werewolves are involved in this, locate and kill eight, possibly nine of the most dangerous vampires in the world, and do it all in two weeks?"

No one spoke, suddenly stuck by the enormity of the task. Jasper looked at me and smiled ruefully. "Piece of cake."

A/N So much traffic, so few reviews :-(


	15. Chapter 15 Sparkling Water

**Renesmee**

A chartered plane took Emmett, Rosalie, Jacob and me to Rio de Janeiro. Carlisle and Esme flew with us as far as Portland, where we had a three hour layover. Carlisle worked on rustling up a supply of blood for Rosalie, and Esme pulled together passports and clothes.

Bella had warned me not to tell Jacob about the involvement of werewolves in the firefight in Denali. She was worried that with his impulsive nature, he would immediately rush into some kind of confrontation. "Let him heal first," she counseled me. "Then we'll tell him."

Emmett carried Rosalie from the car to the plane in his arms, handling her with the care a museum curator gives a priceless antique. She was bundled up in a jacket, scarf, gloves, and sunglasses so the extent of her injuries was barely visible to the causal observer. Her face had already begun to heal and her speech was now intelligible, if slightly slurred. She had no memory of how she leapt from the burning house to end up on the lawn or being hosed with the firefighters' foam, which had prevented the flames from burning her further.

Jacob, much to his dismay, was wearing air casts on both arms, covering his arms from elbow to palm. With his elbows locked in place, he carried his arms awkwardly and was unable to even scratch his nose. I had watched him rub his nose against the seat back in the airplane, trying to scratch it. Carlisle had instructed him to keep the casts on until he could wiggle his barely visible fingertips without pain. The blisters on his side had drained, but the skin was still angry looking.

It was night as Emmett drove the boat over the dark waves to Isle Esme. The mood in the boat was downcast, our minds on the family we had left and the dangers they would be facing. Jacob was subdued as we showed him around the house. He didn't even rise to Rosalie's jibe about the doghouse when she pointed out the bedroom in the far wing of the house where he would be sleeping.

It was a long, restless night for me, but the next morning was bright and cloudless. I woke up to the sun streaming in the windows and the sound of the gentle rolling of the waves. I leaned out the window in my room and took a deep breath of the clean, salty air. The scent of the bougainvillea flowers brought back many happy memories. My parents and I had spent two months here, several years back.

I padded out into the kitchen, where Emmett stood at the stove, his broad back completely blocking the stove from my view.

"You're cooking?" I asked skeptically, pulling open the refrigerator door.

"You bet." He grinned. "Your mother made me promise."

I looked over at the stovetop. Very respectable omelets were shaping up. "Not bad," I admitted.

Jacob came into the kitchen, glowering. His eyebrows were pulled together, and his black eyes flashed with frustration. Dressed in just sweat pants, his bare chest was already misty from the heat.

"Hey, wolfman," Emmett said, sliding the omelets onto plates. "You're just in time for breakfast."

Jacob's face was a study in exasperation. He raised his arms, covered with the casts, into the air and let out a strangled, frustrated, "Arggh."

I stared at him, uncomprehending.

"I can't even brush my teeth with these damn things on! What the hell was Carlisle thinking?" He looked at the casts as if he was going to tear them off with his teeth.

"He was thinking it would help you heal," I reminded him. "Come on, sit down, I'll help you."

Jacob slumped into the kitchen table chair. Emmett placed the plates on the table, while I poured some juice. "Aren't there some straws around here?" I asked.

Emmett gestured above my head. "Cabinet above the sink."

I popped a straw into the juice glass and placed it in front of Jacob. "There you go."

He leaned over to take a long pull of the juice. Half of the glass was gone before he pulled back. "Ah," he sighed, his eyes closed with satisfaction.

I dragged my chair closer to his. I cut a piece of his omelet and raised the fork to his mouth.

He looked at me without opening his mouth. "You're serious, aren't you?" he said, tight-lipped.

Emmett started laughing. "It's either that or starve, pal."

"Come on, open up," I urged him, wiggling the fork in front of him.

Shooting a warning glance at Emmett, Jacob opened his mouth and I placed the bite between his teeth. He chewed, and his expression changed.

"Not bad, bear boy," he said appreciatively.

"Of course," Emmett replied. "Wait 'til you taste my béarnaise sauce. I'm told it's to die for." He chuckled evilly.

I alternated between feeding Jacob and myself. Jacob relaxed into it and started enjoying the attention.

"Toast," he demanded. I held up his fourth piece and he took a huge bite from it. "Your family owns this island-the whole island?" he asked, chewing.

"Well, it's called Isle Esme." I took the last bite of my omelet and pushed the plate away.

"Chartered jets, private islands, where's the yacht?" he teased.

I opened my mouth to rip off a smart reply, but I stopped. Suddenly, I thought how this must all look to Jacob. I took for granted the wealth my family had, the cars, the houses. I never wanted for anything. Jacob was raised in very different circumstances. The Quileutes weren't the richest Indian nation and, God knows, Billy's house was a tiny thing. Jacob's garage seemed to be doing well; there were always cars lined up outside it, but you don't get rich on a mechanic's salary.

This must all be a bit intimidating to Jacob. "No yachts," I said, smiling. "We have to take Royal Caribbean like everyone else."

"Ah." He nodded knowingly. "Slumming." He pushed his chair back from the table.

"Well, when you have Alice picking your stocks, investing is a pretty sure thing." I picked up my plate. "You done?" He nodded and I took our plates to the sink. "If you asked her, I'm sure she would give you some tips."

"I don't think so." He shook his head. "I'm not much of the investing type."

I turned to him, noting his loose, tangled hair. "Come on. Let me help you with your hair and teeth."

He opened his eyes in mock horror. "What, and lose this film on my teeth I've been working on for days?"

"Ew-w." I made a face.

Emmett's voice called from the other room. "Just be glad he's got sweat pants, Nessie."

I looked at Jacob. He was as mystified as I was.

"Otherwise," Emmett yelled, his laughter making him almost unintelligible, "you'd be holding his dick for him when he peed." He broke into full laughter.

I heard Rosalie reprimand him. "Emmett!"

"I'm saving that job for you, bear boy," Jacob shot back. "Let me know when you want to see what a real one looks like."

Emmett wasn't giving up. "Well, when you're ready to-Ow!" Apparently, Rosalie had had enough of this line of conversation.

I grabbed another straw and we headed to the bathroom next to Jacob's bedroom. He sat down on the closed toilet seat, while I rustled up a toothbrush and toothpaste. He watched me as I worked.

"How'd you sleep last night?" he prodded, concern showing on his face.

"Fine," I lied. I was sure the dark circles under my eyes were telling a different story. "Open up." I started on his teeth. I hadn't told him about the recurring nightmares that always ended with red eyes.

His face said he didn't believe me. "Weally?" he asked, around the toothbrush in his mouth.

"Well, no, not really." Trying to lie to Jacob was about as useful as trying to lie to my father. Jacob could read me well enough without having to hear my thoughts. "I'm scared of what will happen if they find Caius and Jane. But I'm also scared if they don't." I swallowed against the sudden lump in my throat.

He spat into the sink and reached a hand to me, reaching for my fingers with his own. His beautiful, dark eyes shone with compassion. "You have an incredibly capable family, Nessie."

"I know." I blinked back the tears that were threatening to gather.

"They'll come through this, you'll see." The tips of his fingers stroked my cheek. "I'd be there fighting with them, but…" He held up his casts.

"No, Jacob," I whispered. "I couldn't stand it if you were there, too." The thought of him in danger, away from me, was like a sword to my gut.

His eyes fell to the bandage on my arm where I had been shot. "Nessie, I am so sorry I couldn't protect you." The pain in his eyes was almost unbearable to see.

"Jacob, you did all that you could. You jumped into that firefight because you had to." I couldn't let him take this on himself. I cast around for the words to help him feel better. "You did take Demetri down."

His face brightened after a moment as he thought about that. "I did, didn't I?" He grinned like a child.

"Yes, you did," I agreed, smiling with him.

"But not Jane." His face fell again.

I couldn't help it; just hearing her name made my knees weak. "No," I whispered.

"Well, the time is coming, there'll be some payback." I knew he was trying to reassure me, but the thought of him facing her made my stomach lurch. Of course, it was very likely that's who my parents were facing now.

I tried to keep my face composed as I fought the fears inside me. I lost the battle and I felt my face crumple. "Oh, Jacob," I wailed, as he pulled me into his lap. I was sobbing, my face pressed against his hot, smooth shoulder. He held me awkwardly in his arms, the casts on his arms bumping against me. I felt his shoulder grow wet as the tears piled up, while he murmured into my hair.

I cried myself out. When I finally quieted a bit, he grabbed some tissues with his fingertips and gave them to me. "Thanks," I mumbled as I wiped my eyes, and blew my nose.

He smiled at me as my nose honked. "It will work out, Nessie." I hoped fervently he was right. I dabbed at the wetness on his collarbone.

I climbed off his lap reluctantly. It seemed such a safe place, a place of certainty in an uncertain world. I could have stayed there a month.

Sighing, I grabbed a brush from the drawer. "Turn," I directed, so I had access to the back of his head.

I pulled the brush through his thick, black hair. It was soft and shiny and, like the rest of him, smelled of wood smoke and cinnamon.

He murmured, "M-m-m" and let his head and neck relax with the motion of the brush. It was hypnotic, pulling the brush through his straight ebony hair. Even with him sitting down, I just barely rose above him, but I could see he had closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation. Like him, I loved having my hair brushed. That I could give him this pleasure, made me feel warm inside. Stroke after stroke, I pulled the tangled strands into a satin-like curtain, bringing out the natural sheen of his hair. I fingered the silky strands, appreciating the way they lay against his dark brown back. His wide rounded shoulders and the long muscles of his back were warm and smooth under my hand.

I stopped suddenly, realizing I was running my hand along his back. I froze, unable to move in my embarrassment at having crossed the line from hair brushing to something more. As I stilled, he became motionless also. I held onto the brush with both hands, watching the back of his head. The air crackled with suppressed tension. I tried to ignore the blood rushing to my cheeks.

I couldn't deny it. I was being pulled nearer and nearer to him like a tetherball on a string as it winds its way to the pole, closer and closer with each orbit.

He slowly turned to me, his face serious, but his eyes were shining. He raised his cast covered arm and slowly let his fingertips run down the side of my face. My skin felt as if it burned under his touch. I held my breath. Slowly, he pulled the brush from my frozen fingers and set it on the counter. "Thank you," he whispered. Then he rose to his feet and walked out the door.

I watched his back as he left. I felt like someone had called the lottery numbers and I had just missed by one.

***

The next few days fell into a pattern. Rosalie spent most of her time on the deck chairs on the patio overlooking the beach. She would sit and stare at the ocean, dressed in her jacket, scarf and sunglasses. She was quiet, as she sipped the blood that Emmett kept her supplied with. I knew part of her inactivity was due to the morphine derivative that Emmett mixed in the blood, as per Carlisle's instructions.

When not exploring the island with me, Jacob got in some male bonding with Emmett. They'd watch the Seattle Mariners on the television, courtesy of the satellite dish. Rowdy and raucous, the two of them would yell and cuss at the players on the television. It became worse when they discovered the DVD collection of Three Stooges comedies. Jacob would come out of the media room, holding his aching ribs from the laughter.

It was our third morning on the island and I was in my bathroom, shaving my legs, when I heard voices. I looked up; they were coming from the vent near the ceiling. The bathroom for the master suite that Emmett and Rosalie shared was back to back with this one; the air ducts must be connected in some way. I could hear the conversation as Emmett brought Rosalie into their bathroom.

The injury to her leg still prevented Rosalie from walking, and with the damage to her hand, crutches were out for the time being. Emmett carried her wherever she wanted to go and seemed glad to do it. It was touching to see how tenderly that huge mountain of a man cared for the injured woman in his charge.

"Here you go," I heard Emmett murmuring as he apparently set her down. There was the sound of water running and rustling.

"Your hair is coming in nicely," Emmett mused. "It won't be long before you're my honey blonde again."

There was a strangled sound, like someone choking back tears or a cry. "How can you stand it?" Rosalie lisped.

"Rose, what?" Emmett's voice was full of concern.

"I mean, look at me!" Rosalie whispered. "I'm hideous."

"Rose, you could never be hideous to me," Emmett reassured her.

"Oh, come on, Emmett. I'm a monster," Rosalie choked out.

"Rose!" Emmett admonished her. "Don't say that."

"All my life, Emmett, human or otherwise, I've been the beautiful one. I'd walk in a room and eyes would turn to me. I liked that. I know it was vain, but it was something I had that made me special." She took a breath. "Now I look in the mirror and I can't stand it. Am I anything now?" She ended in a whimper.

"Rosalie Hale," Emmett scolded. "From the moment I was reborn, yours was the first face I saw. I thought to myself, 'I must be dead because there is an angel in my room.' Several weeks later I knew I had indeed found my angel, because her beauty was nothing compared to her soul. It is you I love, Rosalie, not how you look. You will always be beautiful to me, Rose, always."

There was the sound of bodies coming together, and I snuck out of my bathroom, eager to let them have their private moment in peace.

***

"Ah, that feels _so_ good," Jacob said, scratching his forearms vigorously. Emmett and I had just removed his casts. He smiled blissfully as he scratched. "Well, this calls for a celebration," Jacob said. "Let's go for a swim."

Jacob hadn't avoided me since that unexpected moment in the bathroom, but there was a reserve in him now that I had not felt before. We were both more careful of casual touches, more aware of each other's bodies. In a way, I longed for the easy lighthearted relationship we used to have, where I could grab him and playfully tackle him to the ground. But now, I was dealing with a whole new set of feelings. My heart leapt every time he walked in the room. My eyes were drawn to him whenever we were in the same room. There wasn't any activity more fascinating than just watching him walk around.

I had started to dream of Jacob at night, a welcome relief from the nightmares, but frustrating in their own way. The dreams were all jumbled and random, leaving me with a sense of loss and aching.

Emmett seemed blissfully unaware of the changing relationship between Jacob and me. However, I could feel Rosalie's eyes on us from behind her sunglasses.

Jacob and I grabbed our towels and walked down to the point. We'd seen dolphins there and were hoping to swim with them. The beach was clean and pristine. The water was that beautiful turquoise color found in the tropics and the sky was deep blue and cloudless. It felt wrong to be in this tropical paradise while my family was facing unknown dangers.

I had spoken to my mother last night. She said they had found some leads on the agency supplying the soldiers and were chasing the information to San Francisco. She reassured me again and again that they were being cautious, that there was no immediate danger. I just wished I could believe her.

We spread our towels and I sat down to apply sunscreen. I didn't tan easily but I didn't want to take chances with this tropical sun. The bikini I was wearing wasn't covering a whole lot of skin. I'd found it in a drawer in my room, but I thought I filled it out nicely. Looking in the mirror, I was convinced that my womanly curves were finally here in full force.

In this strong sun, the faint shimmer that marked my skin grew more pronounced. Jacob watched as I rubbed the lotion on my arms. "Your skin is beautiful," he said, almost wondering.

"Thank you." I smiled at him. "You should put some on, too." I handed him the bottle and he looked at it skeptically. "Especially on your side, you don't need any more burns there." The skin on his side looked almost completely healed now, but it still was pinker than the rest of him.

He sighed, taking the bottle from me, and started applying the lotion. He grimaced as he contorted to reach his side. I guessed his ribs must still be sore.

I wrapped my arms around my legs. The sound of the rolling surf was broken only by the occasional cry of a shore bird. I rested my chin on my knees and dug my toes into the sand. "Jacob, have you ever been in love?"

He put the bottle of lotion down in the sand between us. "Well, I thought I was once." He stared out at the ocean, his face thoughtful.

"What happened?"

"She chose someone else." He looked at me, squinting against the sun.

"Ouch."

"It was a long time ago and a lot has changed for me now." He stood up and extended his hand to me. "Come on, let's go swimming."

We splashed into the sparkling, sun-drenched surf. The water was warm and the waves shimmered in the sun. Jacob was like a seal in the water, diving below the surface, coming up with his hair slicked back. The salty water glistened as it streamed off his warm, brown skin. He laughed with the pleasure of the water, the sky, the beautiful day. His teeth gleamed whitely against his chestnut skin and his dark eyes twinkled.

His enthusiasm was catching. This was what I loved most about Jacob, his vibrancy and his passion for life. Like his high temperature, it seemed like he was always living at a higher level than anyone I knew. He was more in the moment, more in tune with his senses and the beauty around him. He threw himself with passion into everything that he did, and that kind of fervor was undeniably attractive. He seemed the antithesis of my parents, hot while they ran cold, soft and warm while they were like marble, impulsive and visceral while they were intensely cerebral.

I stood chest high in the water, smiling as I watched him frolic.

He saw me watching. He smiled widely at me. "What?"

I felt my cheeks flush. Had I been staring at him? "Nothing." I shook my head.

"Come on." He motioned with his head from where he was treading water that looked dangerously deep. His arms slowly moved beneath the surface, causing his broad shoulders to ripple with the movement.

"No thanks," I said. "I'm okay here."

He swam gracefully over to me. "Come on," he insisted. He pulled me by my hand into the deeper water. Suddenly, the sand disappeared from beneath my feet. I grabbed his arms and neck and held on tightly.

He looked at me, startled by the strength of my grip and the look of trepidation on my face. Sudden understanding lit his face. "You can't swim, can you?" He threw his head back and laughed.

"Well, excuse me," I said, clutching him tighter. "My parents aren't exactly beach people."

"But you said you'd been here before."

"Yeah, I never went farther than waist deep. News flash, vampires sink."

He laughed again. His arms lightly circled my waist. "I won't let you go," he reassured me, his face inches from mine.

"Don't," I whispered. "Don't let me go." I could feel his warm, sweet breath on my face. My heart started beating rapidly and my breath came faster. My arms were circled around his neck tightly, my body pressed closely. I could feel the hotness of his skin against my chest and belly while his dark brown eyes crinkled in the corners with his smile.

The sun danced off the gentle waves, causing the water around us to shimmer. The beads of water on Jacob's skin glistened like diamonds. The air itself seemed to sparkle.

I saw his breath hitch in his throat as he watched me. Impulsively, I leaned forward slowly, and searching his face, I kissed him softly on the lips. They were smooth, soft and hot. The saltiness of the water on his skin was delicious.

I pulled back from the brief kiss I had given him, holding my breath. Surprise crossed his face first. Then something darker and deeper took its place. Understanding flared in his eyes and joy lit up his face.

He whispered, "Renesmee?"

"Jacob," I whispered back, staring into his eyes. I was ready for this. I was more than ready.

His strong arms tightened around me, imprisoning me against his smooth hot chest. So quickly, his lips searched for mine. His arm rose on my back until his fingers cradled my head, his warm lips moving in the most delectable way. His other arm squeezed me against him. He kissed me like he had been waiting years for this kiss. Maybe he had.

My head was spinning but I couldn't get enough of him. I squeezed my arms around his neck; his long wet hair was the only cool spot on him. The world around us disappeared. There was nothing in the universe but Jacob. I struggled to get closer to him. This was so innately right; in his arms is where I knew I belonged. I had a place in this world at last. Not in the human world, not in the vampire world, where I would forever be straddling both sides. But in Jacob's world, wherever he was.

We pulled back from each other, our hearts beating furiously. "Wow," he said, smiling.

"Wow," I agreed, light-headed but clinging onto him tightly.

"Our first kiss," he whispered.

It was my first real kiss ever. Sudden insecurity stabbed me. "Was it okay?" I asked him in a small voice. It had seemed earth-shattering to me, but surely he had more experience in this area than I.

He threw back his head and laughed, his white teeth glistening against his dark skin. Then he saw that I was serious. Still smiling, he brushed a wet tendril of hair from my face. "It was perfect."

"Really?" I couldn't stand it if he was lying to me.

His face grew serious and his eyes bored into mine. "Perfect," he murmured.

I grinned at him and he grinned back as the waves jostled us slightly.

He sighed. "Come on, let me bring you in." Although Jacob was standing, it was still too deep for me. "I think that's enough boundary stretching for one day."

My face fell.

"You are too important to me to rush this, Nessie," he said, staring into my eyes. "Let's take this slow. We have the rest of our lives." Jacob walked us towards the shore, still holding me in his arms. I clung to him for as long as I could.

He put me down when the water was waist deep and we walked together to where our towels were spread on the sand.

As we were toweling off, a shout came from down the beach. Emmett was waving his arms in the air. "Carmen and Eleazar are here. Come on in."

Rosalie was on the patio in her usual place as we came to the house. She didn't say anything, but I glimpsed over my shoulder as I walked by her. Yes, she probably had seen us in the water. I threw my towel over the patio railing to dry.

"Jacob," she said as we passed, "Could I talk with you a moment?"

He stopped and turned to her slowly. I paused as well, but Rosalie looked at me and said "Carmen and Eleazar are waiting for you."

I padded into the house, wanting desperately to hear what she had to say to Jacob, but knowing I had definitely been dismissed. I was quickly caught up in Carmen's hug. She gushed about seeing me and the supplies she had brought. Eleazar joined us and they led me to the kitchen to unpack their supplies. They had been unable to contact the Amazons as of yet, so they couldn't stay more than a day or so.

That night I was wakened by the sound of thunder. I watched as the lightning illuminated the room in brief, erratic flashes. My thoughts ran to the towel and suit I had left hanging on the patio railing. It occurred to me that I should get them before the rain started. I padded past the media room where I could hear a movie playing and the sound of laughter.

I was halfway across the patio when a faint smell tickled my nose. It was fragrant and beckoning, a deep, rich odor. I took a deeper breath, inhaling through my nose. The perfume was heady and enticing. What was that delicious aroma? I found myself by Rosalie's customary chair, staring at her half-filled and abandoned glass of blood.

I hadn't tasted human blood since I was a baby. I'd been raised to appreciate the sanctity of human life. But this wasn't taking any life, was it? My throat became suddenly dry, and yet my mouth was watering. I lifted the cup to my nose. The bouquet of it was tantalizing, thick and alluring. I knew it would be even more so when it was hot and fresh. Even so, it was compelling watching the liquid swish around the cup as I swirled it in my hand. The fragrance was complex and enthralling.

"Don't do it."

I looked up, startled to see Jacob at the edge of the patio. I looked at the cup in my hand. I couldn't remember picking it up.

"Don't do it," he repeated, taking a step towards me.

"It smells good." I laughed weakly. I wanted to put the cup down, but my hand wouldn't let go of it.

"You can fight it, Nessie. Don't give in," he urged me.

I looked at the cup in my hand. A surge of anger flared in me. Why would Jacob deny me this? "This is what I am, Jacob," I said roughly. The thick liquid swirled irresistibly. "A bloodsucker," I whispered bitterly, sniffing at the irresistible aroma.

"What you are, Nessie, is what you choose to be," he whispered.

Choice. I had a choice. He'd love me, no matter what I did here. But it did matter, didn't it? It mattered to me. It mattered how I defined myself.

With a tremendous effort of will, I set the cup back on the table, and backed a step away from it. Jacob strode to the table and with a quick flick of his hand, tossed the cup's contents into the bushes surrounding the patio. He set the cup upside down on the table.

The patio flashed briefly with the illumination of a far off lightning strike. His face was calm and composed. He wrapped his arms around me, and rested his chin on my head. "It's the middle of the night. Why are you awake?"

"The thunder woke me." As if to prove me true, the low growling grumble of thunder washed over us. "Why are _you_ awake?" I asked, my head snuggled against his chest.

"Restless," he admitted ruefully.

I felt the first patter of raindrops. "It's starting to rain. My towel." I broke from his arms reluctantly and walked over to the railing.

"Come on," he encouraged me, as we walked inside. "I'll tuck you in." He followed me to my bedroom, where I tossed the towel and suit onto the chair and climbed into the big bed. He knelt by the bed and pulled the covers up as I lay back against the pillow. He kissed my forehead. "Goodnight."

I looked up at his beautiful brown face, his deep entrancing eyes. "I love you," I whispered and I knew it was true.

He stared into my eyes. "I love you, too," he murmured. The honesty in our voices was unmistakable. A choice had been made. A line had been crossed.

"Everything alright in here?" Emmett stood in the doorway, his arms crossed.

"Just fine," Jacob answered over his shoulder. He rose and turned off the light next to my bed. "Goodnight, Nessie." He brushed by Emmett in the doorway.

"Goodnight, Nessie," Emmett echoed, pulling the door closed behind him.

The patter of the rain had started in earnest and it quickly lulled me to sleep. My dreams were filled with Jacob.

a/n Hope you are enjoying, please review!


	16. Chapter 16 Chase

**A/N** Sorry for the long update wait! I have been sending chpters to Betas ( the fabulous Project Team Beta, btw), and waiting to catch up where I am also posted on Twilighted and Live Jourmal. However, I am caught up now so regualr updates shpuld be happening quickly and regularly. A special thank you to everyone who has reviewed_-(musical interlude)_ You are the Wind Beneath My Wings!

**Bella**

I had to bid my daughter farewell all too soon. But Edward and I agreed that it was best to see her tucked away somewhere safe so that we could concentrate on the substantial task before us. Isle Esme seemed the perfect location, all our wounded could recuperate in a secure, remote location. Our next thought was to warn others of what Caius had done and of his unprovoked attacks. Carmen and Eleazar volunteered to alert the Amazons and we made arrangements that they would bring some supplies to Isle Esme while they were in South America.

Carlisle and Esme flew to Portland with Renesmee, Rosalie, Emmett and Jacob. From there they would go on to Forks. Carlisle felt it important to talk with Sam and the other tribal elders about how some of the werewolves were working with Jane. "It's likely that they don't know," he told us, "but they should. Don't try to take on Caius without all of us," Carlisle admonished Jasper. "Act as a scout in this."

That left the five of us, Alice, Jasper, Garrett, Edward and I, to try to track down Caius and those working with him. We sat in the living room, discussing our options. "We know Jane was on her way to the Irish coven yesterday," Jasper surmised.

Alice shook her head. "She won't stay there long. Siobhan and the others will have cleared out by now."

"Anything on Caius?" Edward asked.

Alice grimaced with frustration. "Yes, too much. He's all over the place, Boston, San Francisco, Ireland. He's shifting constantly. He seems to be making decisions randomly."

"Well, let's do this the old fashioned way," I suggested. "I think it's highly unlikely that a car fire with four bodies in it, just miles from Denali, is a coincidence. Let's get some information on the car and track things from there."

Garrett frowned. "But will the authorities just give us that information?"

"I think they could be persuaded to answer a few questions," Edward predicted.

*****

A few hours later, Edward, Jasper and I were seated in Fire Marshall Clement's office. He seemed a bit overwhelmed by the three intense, beautiful strangers so close to him.

"Thank you for seeing us," Edward began after introductions had been made. "We've been wondering if you made any progress on the investigation into the fire at the Draustovich house." Draustovich was Tanya's surname.

Clement crossed his hands over his substantial belly. "Well, we've been interviewing neighbors, friends and old boyfriends. This kind of thing takes a while, but I do promise we'll get to the bottom of this."

"You had said there was a car fire down the road that same night. Did you find any connection?" I asked.

He leaned back in his chair. "You know this is a murder investigation. I can't really say too much." He had already met Edward and me at the ruins of Tanya's house, but I saw his eyes narrow as he appraised Jasper.

Edward leaned forward. "California plates on the car, you had said. I wonder who it was registered to."

"Did I say it was California plates?" Clement mused. "Perhaps I had."

"I'm sure if the plates were registered to a corporation, you would have tracked that down," Edward prodded.

"Well, if it was to a corporation, and I'm not saying it was, well, then we'd work with the California State Police on it."

I leaned forward in my chair. "Is there anything you can tell us?"

Clement looked at me sympathetically. "I'm sorry, miss. Not at this time. "

Edward stood up. Jasper and I followed. "Well, we won't take anymore of your time. Thank you, Mr. Clement. Please let us know when you can release any information."

Clement stood and gave his belt a hitch. "We surely will, Mr. Cullen. Don't worry. We'll find some justice for you." He held out his hand to shake Edward's.

"I'm sorry," Edward said, holding his hands close to himself, "skin condition. Excuse me for not shaking."

Clement snatched his hand back. "Um, of course," he stammered. I ducked my head and fought a smile as we turned to the door.

We walked slowly to the car. "The Hummer was registered to Halcyon Corporation, out of San Francisco," Edward informed us. "It's some kind of para-military company."

"That would make sense seeing as how Nessie had seen that there were some kind of soldiers," Jasper said.

Edward pulled open the car door. "He'd checked out our alibi."

"_Our_ alibi?" I asked, surprised. I climbed in the passenger side.

"He'd called Bud Watson to confirm when we came in by plane." Edward started the car and looked in the rearview mirror to where Jasper sat. "He didn't like you at all."

"Me?" Jasper spread his hands. "I didn't say anything."

Edward smiled. "I think that's why."

Jasper looked out the window and smiled ruefully. "Well, next time I'll try to be more talkative."

*****

The five of us arrived in San Francisco after the sun had set. We rented a car and let the GPS lead us to Halcyon's address. Parked outside of Halcyon headquarters, Alice and I sat in the back seat with Garrett, peering at the steel and glass building towering above us. Only a few windows shone with lights. Edward and Jasper, in the front seats, got out of the car and motioned for us to join them.

The wide and well lit lobby was manned by no less than three guards. We moved faster than thought past the lobby and to the door leading to the building's stairwell. The guards at the desk weren't even aware we had passed by. Jasper pulled a metal button off his denim jacket, and flicked it sixty feet across the lobby so that it banged into the glass on the other side of the lobby. The guards all spun around to see the source of the noise as we pulled open the stairwell door and slid inside. I heard one guard say to the other as the door closed, "I told you this place was haunted."

Once inside, Alice looked exasperatedly at Jasper. "I wish you wouldn't do that. It's a Calvin Klein, for goodness sakes."

Edward rolled his eyes. "Some quiet, please," he hissed. He paused on the steps, listening. I knew he was searching for thought patterns that included images of vampires or werewolves. "Caius is here."

We all stopped, stunned at the unexpected news. Clanging from some upper level echoed in the steel and concrete stairwell

He cocked his head to one side. "He's with a human and a Quileute. No one else from the Volturi is there."

"Well, that explains why I couldn't see him," Alice said, crossly. I knew she was getting frustrated by the way her abilities kept being blocked.

"What should we do?" I asked Edward. I'd never killed anybody in anger, and certainly not in cold blood.

"If we can question him a bit, we'd have a better handle on what his plans are. We need information, and then we kill him," Jasper decided. He said this so matter-of-factly, I was taken aback.

"Carlisle wanted us to wait," I reminded them.

"If he is alone, we'd be foolish to waste this opportunity," Garrett argued.

"I agree," Edward said. "Perhaps we can trap him inside."

"Be careful, people," Jasper cautioned. "These old ones can sometimes have unexpected powers. Caius is bound to be a dangerous fighter. We stay together."

"Jasper," Edward said. "Bella is the least experienced fighter among us."

Jasper and Edward exchanged glances. Edward was apparently satisfied by what he heard. He gave his head a quick nod, as he stood on the landing above us. He started up the stairs, when he stilled again, listening. His face turned deadly serious while his eyes started to smolder with fury. "They're discussing an attack on Forks."

Fear for our home and anger battled for the upper hand in me. Suddenly, the thought of killing Caius was taking on a lot more appeal.

"Well, let's nip that in the bud," Garrett said. "Let's go."

Edward turned and led us up the stairs to the third floor. We ghosted past an empty reception area and down a corridor.

From inside an office lining the corridor, there was the sound of cracking wood and glass shattering. "He's heard us!" Edward cried and he sped down the hall, the rest of us right behind him. He plowed through one of several wooden doors lining the corridor and it exploded into a million splinters. Inside the office, a non-descript middle-aged man was spinning slowly in his swivel desk chair, his head tilted at an improbable angle, his eyes staring at nothing. The desk in front of him had been ripped violently.

The Quileute was a young man in his early twenties, pale beneath his tanned skin. He stood backed up against a far wall, his eyes huge and rimmed with fear. From his chest protruded a large sliver of wood, his hands wrapped around it. Blood trickled from the wound.

The window in the office had been smashed apart. Alice cried, "Bella, hold your breath!" as she and Edward jumped out of the window without hesitation. The smell of the blood caused me a moment's indecision. It smelled enticing and repulsive at the same time. I vacillated for a second before Jasper and Garrett each grabbed one of my arms and the three of us sailed out the window to the grassy area below.

Alice and Edward were already far down the dark street chasing a figure way off in the distance. We took off after them.

Down the city streets we raced, street lights passing by us so fast, they appeared like strobe lights. The shop lights and storefronts passed in a blur as we dodged the humans on the streets enjoying a warm summer night. We ran like the wind incarnate, our path invisible to the cars and people. As unseen ghosts we weaved in and out of the traffic on Divisadero Street, Edward pulling ahead of all of us and slowly gaining on Caius.

Far ahead, Caius rounded a dark corner and disappeared from view. Edward rounded the corner as well, but then slowed down in confusion. "Edward, the rooftops!" Alice cried as she caught up to him.

Edward scaled the brick face of the store in front of him in two moves and disappeared over the edge of the roof, Alice right behind him. Several seconds later, Jasper, Garrett and I scrabbled up the same wall. In the lead, we could see Caius flying across the rooftops, his feet barely touching the uneven and complicated surfaces. He sprang like a deer across the open spaces caused by the streets below.

Jasper and Garrett were pulling ahead of me. The strength of a newborn had faded in me and I just wasn't as fast as the others. I wondered if I was holding up the chase, when with a single move, Jasper slowed to my side, and slung me by the arm over his back. I grabbed tight and he sped up again.

I held tight around Jasper's chest and waist with my arms and legs while his blond curls whipped in my face. The inhuman speed we were traveling at caused our clothing to thrash in the wind like a flag in a hurricane. I smiled with the remembrance of how I used to travel like this with Edward back when I had been human. Of course, it had never been this fast.

Jasper sensed my amusement. "What?" he asked over his shoulder while his legs continued pumping furiously. I could see the glow in the nighttime clouds indicating the bright lights of the airport not far away.

I shook my head; I'd tell him some other time. "Looks like we're headed for the airport," I yelled above the rushing wind. The buildings were larger and sparser as we got closer to the airport and the industrial complex surrounding it.

The closely packed buildings came to an end and jumping down to street level, Jasper set me on my feet. We continued to race, catching sight of Edward across the highway as he dashed between the scattered warehouses and hangars. I'd lost sight of Caius completely but Alice was still ahead, trailing Edward.

We came to the tunnels of the BART train and followed Alice and Edward inside, running down the side of the air train tracks through the dark tunnels. We caught up to Alice and Edward as they came to the platform indicating the International Terminal. Edward had his head down, concentrating.

"This way," he determined and we bolted up the stairs into the main international terminal. People were staring at us in alarm. Edward barked, "Jasper, Garrett, you go right. I'll hear if you find him."

The two men took off running down the right side of the terminal, searching the faces of the passer-bys for Caius. Edward, Alice and I started down the left side of the terminal, scanning the crowd for Caius. "There!" Alice cried, pointing across the terminal. On the other side of the crowded concourse, I caught sight of a white ponytail and white suit. He turned briefly and I caught a glimpse of his eyes. He looked at me and his face changed with the kind of smile that had nothing to do with humor.

We had started across the busy hall after him when Edward yelled "No!" I watched as Caius pulled a metal stanchion from the queues before the ticketing area. He twisted it in his hands, breaking it into two long, sharp, jagged slivers. The crowd of people in line by him screamed and fell over each other trying to put distance between themselves and the dangerous man flailing sharp metal. With the speed and sureness of a samurai, he broke into the crowd. I watched in horror as the improvised weapons flashed. The damage done, Caius threw the jagged metal to the floor and was off running again.

Screams were filling the air as people with their necks, faces and chests slashed fell to the floor. I gasped in horror at the carnage, and the intake of breath was a mistake. Alice yelled, "Hold your breath, Bella!" as she and Edward started running after Caius' back.

I was rooted to where I stood. I was hypnotized by the entrancing crimson liquid as it started to leak from the wounded. The smell of it broke over me in waves, intensifying with every moment. It called to me, no, it _sang _to me like a siren. I had never smelled an aroma as deep or as rich. It was the smell of life itself and I was suddenly parched for it. Nothing else would do but I had to taste it, to roll the savory liquid on my tongue and feel it ease the fire in my throat that had exploded in me.

Way down below the consuming thirst that had overtaken me, a part of me was screaming to regain rationality. Some part of me knew that these were humans in front of me, and not just containers for the liquid ecstasy that now gushed from them. That part of me screamed silently as I took another step closer to the source of the rapture which was now my only focus.

Peripherally, I felt Alice grab my arm and scream Edward's name. I shook her off violently and she was thrown some feet away from me. I had no thought of her. I could see only the blood, the ruby bliss as it glistened on the skin of the injured. I inhaled again through my nose, delighting in the pungent aroma and took another step closer.

Some one was saying my name, again and again. It was like the buzz of an insect flying around my head, annoying and unwanted. But it broke my concentration enough that I could see Edward's face. I watched disinterestedly as his lips moved. His face floated in front of mine. There was some reason, I knew, why I should be listening to him.

He was saying my name over and over and urging me to get control. Oh, god, I thought as I snapped to awareness. I didn't want to do what now seemed inevitable, to take the inexorable path leading me to the blood that could soothe this unbearable thirst. I couldn't move, though. If I twitched a muscle, it could only be to move closer to the source of my beguilement.

I moved just my eyes to Edward's face, where he was speaking to me urgently. I couldn't even hear what it was he was saying; the bloodlust drained me of all perceptions but the source of the mesmerizing fragrance. With a herculean effort, I wrested control of that part of me which controlled speech and whimpered, "Help."

Without delay, he swept me up in his arms bridal style, and we flew past the wounded crowd, now organizing itself as onlookers assisted the injured. I couldn't have left the blood on my own. I barely found the strength not to fight him as he carried me away from it.

I tucked my head into his neck, trying to tamp down the feelings of grief and loss that so much ecstasy had been snatched from me. I was glad I hadn't given in to the bloodlust, but a part of me felt like the sinner who had been given a glimpse of heaven only to see it dissolve in the wind. The promise of completion and satiation that the blood had sung to me wound its snaky tendrils in my brain and made its home in the darkest recesses. I couldn't even imagine what it would be like to have tasted it and then to later deny it.

"How do you do it?" I whispered into his chest. "Year after year, saying no to that."

As we sped through the terminal with inhumanly speed, he smiled slightly down at me. "We just do. One person at a time."

Ahead, Jasper and Garrett were waving to us, before ducking into a plain door lining the corridor. Edward put me down as we came to the door which led to the service corridors that only airport employees saw. We started running down the blank corridors, our footsteps echoing against the gray linoleum and blank walls. We turned another corner, blowing past a custodian pushing a cleaning cart. His words of protest were behind us before he could finish his thought.

"Damn! He's on the tarmac!" Edward cried. He cast around looking for a way to the outside. He pushed his shoulder against a door, and the lock gave way under the pressure. We were in a large loading area, dark and greasy smelling.

We blew past four workers having a card game on some crates and ran out into the night. Luggage carts were strewn randomly between the undersides of the jumbo jets towering above us. There, across a wide expanse of runways, we saw a figure running. I watched amazed as Caius ran under the belly of a jumbo jet gaining speed as it taxied down the runway. As the plane left the ground, Caius jumped up and grabbed the front landing gear, avoiding the spinning massive tires. A moment later, he was folded into the belly of the plane as the landing gear cranked into its hidden position. The plane majestically climbed into the sky.

The five of us stood there in various states of dejection as the plane gained altitude. Garrett strode over to a worker, who was wearing earphones and concentrating on adjusting the mechanism on a cart.

Garret tapped him on the shoulder. "Can you tell me where that plane is headed?" Garrett asked, pointing to the departing jet.

The worker removed his earphones. "Say again?"

"That plane. Where is it headed?"

The worker looked at the plane and his watch. "Well, looks like its flight 718 to Boston."

"Thank you," Garrett said, and started walking back to us.

"Hey," the worker yelled, comprehension finally dawning on him that we were without any kind of security badges. "You're not supposed to be in here!" He fumbled for his walkie-talkie but by the time he'd gotten it out, we had disappeared back into the night.

**A/N** Alright, now I'm begging. I'm getting huge traffic and few reviews. When I get reviews, I am happy. When I'm happy I write, I edit, I post. When there are no reviews,

I'm not happy. Then I throw my hands up in the air, walk away from my commputer and brood.

Make me happy, make you happy. Review! The box is right down there!


	17. Chapter 17 Mistakes

**Leah**

_Damn_! I hung up the phone. _Shortsighted, irresponsible idiots!_

I'd just gotten off the phone with Solomon Hatch. They were morons, all of them. Didn't they understand? They wanted to continue working for Colonel Freed and Halcyon. They were working for Caius, is what they were doing. They were puppets, their strings held by vampires. They were doing Caius' dirty work for him.

Is that really what they wanted? Were they so eager to kill somebody, anybody? That kind of thinking was just wrong and dangerous. I shook my head at my own stupidity. Why had I thought I could expect mature behavior from those hormonal, ignorant, pimply-faced puppies? I should never have gotten them involved. It was like giving guns to babies; you knew somebody was going to get hurt, just who and when was the question.

I threw some clothes in a bag. I wanted- no, I needed to get out of San Francisco for a while. Go someplace different. Someplace green and quiet. Somewhere I could process the experiences of the last few weeks and sort out some things.

I took the Bay Bridge out of the city and let the car take me north. I'd crossed the state line into Oregon before I realized I was heading to La Push. I didn't know if I was ready to go back, but the urge to talk to my mother became overwhelming. I wanted to sit by her knees and have her stroke my hair like she used to. I'd let her listen to my story and help me make some sense of it.

I'd said some pretty mean things to her before I had left. I'd accused her of smearing my father's memory by moving in with Charlie. I'd been upset that she hadn't even married him, just one day she was there. Like she wasn't entitled to her own life, her own happiness. Some part of me had wanted to see her as the loyal grieving widow forever.

She'd forgive me, though. That I knew. Just like when I was a kid, she'd let me go stomping off to my room when I was pitching a fit about one thing or the other. She knew that if I just had some time, some space, I could usually see reason.

I realized I was looking forward to seeing Seth, my younger brother. Like any younger brother, he could be a royal pain in the ass, but he was also one of the kindest, sweetest people I knew. There was an uncomplicated, easy way about him. Not like me. I was complicated, tangled. I'd been called a bitch on more than one occasion. I'd probably even deserved it. That didn't mean it didn't sting.

Going back meant I was probably going to see Sam again. I was just going to have to deal with all my feelings about that situation. Denial and anger had always come to me a lot easier than surrender and acceptance. Maybe, just maybe, I was finally ready to raise the white flag.

I took my time going north. I kept my cell phone off; I didn't want to talk to anyone who had that number. On a whim, I turned off the highway and went into Newport. There was an aquarium there my family had visited when I was ten or so. As I walked around the exhibits, the memories of our family, especially my father, rattled around in my head. Sometimes I missed him so much, it ached.

I wound up spending the entire day at the aquarium, watching the families there enjoying the sights. All those happy families made my infertility weigh heavily on my soul. I sat there on the bench the whole afternoon, watching the joyful children and the cute babies. It was something I knew I could never have, and I just let the pain drip through my soul. I hoped that by the end of the day, I'd become reconciled to my fate.

I was feeling pretty humbled when I called my mom as I hit Portland, and told her I was on my way. The joy in her voice intensified the guilt I felt about how I'd been neglecting her. It was after dark when I pulled up to Charlie Swan's house, where Mom was living now. Her silhouette showed in the window as I pulled into the driveway and a moment later she was flying out the door into my arms.

"Leah, Leah," she said, rocking me in her hug. "I'm so glad you're home." She held me in her arms tightly, like she was afraid I'd disappear again. "We're all so glad you're here, aren't we, Charlie?"

Charlie had come up behind her and was watching us, his hands held at his sides awkwardly. "Absolutely," Charlie said. He stepped forward for a quick kiss on the cheek. "We've got a room all done up for you."

"Thank you, Charlie," I said, grabbing my bag from the back seat. "I promise I won't be too much trouble."

"You won't be any trouble," my mom cried, taking my arm as we walked towards the house. "No trouble at all." She squeezed my arm, her eyes glistening.

Seeing the joy and the love shining on her face made me feel like I was home, though I'd never stayed at Charlie's before. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and kissed her hair. "I've missed you," I murmured.

"Oh, I've missed you, too," she replied, her eyes becoming shiny with the tears she held back. She dabbed at her eyes. "Still a sentimental fool, I guess," she chuckled.

They took me in the house and fed me, sitting at the kitchen table while I ate leftover chicken. I gave them the sanitized version of what I'd been doing the last six months, skipping over the vampire-hunting. I stressed instead what a great place San Francisco was, the great secretarial job at Halcyon and how I was thinking about going back to school. Charlie bought it, I was pretty sure. My mother nodded politely and said all the right things, but she knew me too well.

Once Charlie had wandered out to the living room to settle into the sofa with the TV remote, she looked at me over her glasses and said, "So, what's the real deal, Leah?"

"I don't know, Mom," I answered truthfully. "I guess I'm still trying to figure that out."

Her perceptive eyes searched my face. "You've done something and you don't feel good about it."

_Bingo. _"It's…complicated." I grimaced as I rested my face in my hands.

"Life is complicated, Leah. But, figuring out the right thing to do is usually simple." She reached out for my hand and grasped it in her strong brown fingers.

"Maybe, Mom," I sighed. I looked at her, letting my tiredness show. "But do we have to figure it all out tonight?"

"No, no," she assured me, "not tonight. Come on; let me show you to your bedroom."

The bedroom at the top of the stairs looked out over the front lawn. Thankfully, there was very little vampire odor in the room, though I could tell by the high school pictures and posters that this had once been Bella's room.

_Bella_, I thought, frowning as I dropped my bag on the bed. I'd always despised her choices. But I was willing to concede that maybe she had her reasons. They said true love would make you crazy. Well, she certainly had gone off the deep end. Still, I'd seen the way she and Edward looked at each other. There was something there, something rare, and it made me want to believe that there were happy endings out there somewhere.

That night, once the house was quiet, I snuck out the front door. I stashed my clothes in the bushes not far from the house and phased into my wolf form. I took off down the path, letting the cool night air rush past me.

I was thankful for the cool green forest, whipping by me. It whispered with the spattering raindrops. I was alone in my head; nobody else's thoughts intruded on mine. That suited me just fine, as I tried to run fast enough to leave all thoughts behind me.

There was magic, healing magic, in these wet, deep forests, and I opened my soul to let it seep into me. It wasn't until I had been gone from them that I realized how much these dark, secret places were a part of my psyche. There was no room for anger or bitterness in these trees. The time I spent in these rich verdant woods centered me, balanced me. I'd been a fool to look anywhere else.

The next morning both Mom and Charlie had to work. I wandered around the house, did a load of laundry, watched some TV. I finally got my nerve up to call Billy Black and ask him how Jacob was.

"He's going to be fine," Billy said. "I heard from him yesterday. He got caught in the middle of some vampire fight, but he's pulling through. Carlisle shipped him down to some tropical island to recuperate. I guess he's down there, doing the hula."

I laughed weakly. "A tropical island?"

"He's down there with that other female Cullen, you know, the big blond one? Apparently, she got hurt quite badly. Renesmee's down there too, from what I understand."

"Rosalie got hurt?" I hadn't seen that. Alaska had been a fiasco all around. I cringed, silently. There would be hell to pay when the elders found out about this.

"Yes, that's her name. But enough about them. How have you been? Your mom must have been thrilled to see you."

"Yes, she was. I've missed her like crazy. Did Jacob say anything about me?"

"No, he didn't." Billy's voice became curious. "Was there a reason he should?"

"No, no," I answered quickly. "It's just, uh, I've been thinking about him." Jacob hadn't said anything about me? They hadn't told him I'd been there in Alaska? Or maybe he hadn't told Billy? What was the reason for that? I was grateful, I still hadn't figured out how to explain my activities of the last few months to people, but still, how odd.

"Well, nice talking with you, Billy. I'm sure I'll be seeing you around."

"Alright, Leah. We're having a big bonfire at the beach on Labor Day. You'll come?"

"I'll be there." We said our goodbyes and I hung up.

"Who was that?" said a deep voice behind me, causing me to nearly jump out of my skin.

I spun around. Seth was standing there with a huge grin on his face.

We threw our arms around each other. "Mom told me you were here," he chuckled.

"Damn it's good to see you." And it was. He was beaming at me like a kid at Christmas. I still couldn't get over how tall he'd gotten.

"How are you, Leah?" His eyes held concern. More than even my mom, he knew what had driven me off the reservation.

"I'm okay, how are things with you?" I got a soda from the fridge and passed one to him.

He popped the top and leaned back against the counter. "I bought a ring for Kelly." He grinned slyly at me, taking a swig of the soda. Kelly was his girlfriend of the last few years. She was a good girl, I even approved of her.

My eyes widened. "No shit! Congratulations! Have you asked her yet?"

"Not yet. Soon, though."

"Well, you better ask her soon before she finds out what a jerk you are," I teased him.

"Geez, thanks." He rolled his eyes.

We both slid into the chairs at the kitchen table. "I'd heard from Debbie that you were in San Francisco," he said.

"Yeah, we lived together for a while."

'That's a sweet little Honda you've got sitting out in the driveway. What were you doing for work?"

I looked at him, weighing my options on how much to tell him. His clear brown eyes held nothing but affection and love. I needed to tell him everything.

I began with how I got the job at Halcyon. His jaw dropped when I told him about my initial conversation with Colonel Freed. "Jesus," he whispered. "How did he know?"

I kept on with my story, his face getting grimmer and grimmer as I told him of each 'mission'. I told him what Mary in Boston had said. "_I heard he was picking us off, I never guessed he'd be using werewolves. You tell Caius he can go to hell."_

He began to look nauseous. "There were six of you against one of them? You just flew in like vultures and bam! You killed her?"

I nodded, my face reflecting the bad taste I had in my mouth, which was not unlike his own expression.

Suddenly, his eyes sharpened as he made the connection. "You were in Alaska, weren't you? You were there when Jacob and the Cullens got hurt?"

I nodded, afraid of the judgment he was going to pass.

"Jesus, Leah!" He spun out of the chair and placed his hands on the counter, his back to me.

"I didn't know! It's only when I saw one bunch of vampires attacking others that I realized other vampires were a part of this. It didn't hit me until then that we were being used in some kind of vampire war."

He was slowly shaking his head back and forth. "But it was all right for you to be flying around the world on some kind of vigilante justice?"

Now I was annoyed. "Oh, come on, Seth. It's not like they were innocent."

He turned and looked me in the eyes. "Yes, they were. That Alaskan family is like the Cullens, they don't kill people."

I sat still, looking at him. Oh, it had been a mistake. It had all been a huge mistake.

*****

That night, once again, after Charlie and Mom had gone to bed, I quietly let myself out the front door and headed for the forest that bordered Charlie's back yard. I stashed my clothes in the bushes and phased immediately. I started down the path, reveling in the rhythmic pull of muscle and sinew as I flew past the trees.

I hadn't gone far when I felt the air nearby start to shimmer. Someone near me was phasing. Suddenly the air was full of it. Through the trees to my right, I saw a wolf, pacing me as I ran. To the left, there was another wolf.

_Hello Leah. _The unmistakable timbre of Solomon's voice rang in my head. Del, Jimmy, and Perry were here as well. There was excitement and a sense of danger in their thoughts.

_I thought you were headed to Ireland to do some more of the vampires' bidding._ My voice dripped with sarcasm.

_Come on, Leah, _Del's voice said. _Don't be like that_.

_You're the one who got us started in this,_ Jimmy pointed out.

Another mistake on my part. Could I just rewrite my life from the beginning, please? _Well, let me be the one who tells you when it should end. As of right now._

Solomon's voice again. _It's not that easy, Leah. _

I slowed to a stop and sat back on my haunches. Gradually, the rest of them appeared in a loose semicircle around me. _It's not? Let me tell you some things. Those vampires in Alaska? The ones we helped kill? They were like the Cullens. They don't murder people. We're the murderers here. _I could tell my words made an impact on Jimmy and Perry.

Solomon could have cared less. _They were vampires._ In his eyes, that was condemnation enough.

_Going to be the judge, jury and executioner all in one, Solomon? _

_We're doing what needs to be done._ The hackles on the back of his neck were rising.

I rose off my haunches. _There's a difference between protecting the tribe and being a vigilante. _

_At least, we're doing something! _

_Doing nothing is better than doing the wrong thing!_

The lips on his snout raised and a growl started deep in his throat. _You will come with us._

I stared at him in shock. His voice had taken on the double timbre of an Alpha. How had that happened? I looked at the pack arrayed behind him. They were all looking to him. The pack must have an Alpha and my desertion had left them without one. In my absence apparently, the pack had chosen him.

I wouldn't follow him and I'd lost the stomach to fight him. But could he demand my obedience? Already, I could feel the pull his command had on me. There was a part of me that longed for the safety and comfort of a pack. But I'd be damned if I joined _his_ pack. I whirled around and started running. Alphas could command the obedience of any wolf in their pack. But I hadn't accepted him as my Alpha yet.

_Leah!_ Solomon's voice in my head rang like a bell. Until I accepted him, until I bared my throat to him, I still had a choice.

The rest of the pack started after me. I was fast, but was I fast enough? The only way to get away from them for sure would be to phase back to human form. I wasn't going to do that out here in the middle of the woods. I'd have to circle back to Charlie's. I tried to keep plans of escape from my mind and concentrated on the sheer physical necessity for speed.

Jimmy and Solomon would be the fastest. Not far behind me, I could hear the panting and footfalls of several wolves. I could hear their thoughts as they raced after me. They felt they had to catch me. They were afraid I'd be breaking up their good thing with Halcyon by refusing to participate in any more of their missions.

I ran like I've never run before. The trees flashed by me like the slats on a picket fence, blurring together. My feet barely touched the ground. I felt like I had become the embodiment of speed, nothing existed but the rushing by of the forest. Gradually, I started pulling to the left. I couldn't hear the others' thoughts now. Perhaps they had given up.

My circle started coming around and I was nearing Charlie's neighborhood. Suddenly, I felt phasing all around me. Damn! They'd surrounded me while out of phase and now were resuming wolf form. I felt the circle tighten. I pressed through the bushes and Solomon and Del sprang in front of me. I tried to veer past them but Solomon caught me and bowled me over to the ground. His muzzle closed around my leg before I twisted around and snapped at his eyes and nose. Del caught me on the shoulder and ripped away a mouthful of fur. We snarled and growled viciously at each other.

Jimmy and Perry growled as they approached me from the sides. Jimmy was the weakest, so I attacked him snarling ferociously, and with a snap at him, made a break out of their circle. I raced through the few remaining yards of forest and into Charlie's yard. I phased as I ran, and made the last few steps to the porch on two feet. I tripped up the porch stairs and landed with a hard and painful thud on the top steps.

The porch light came on and the door to the house opened. Charlie stood there. "What in sam hell is going on out here?" He saw me sprawled on the porch, breathing heavily, naked and bleeding. "Leah!" he cried in shock.

He opened the screen door and came to kneel by me. "Leah, what happened? Where are you hurt?"

I heard steps on the lawn and still sprawled on the porch, looked behind me. The four wolves had phased to human and slowly their forms materialized out of the darkness. The porch light barely illuminated their menacing faces. Charlie took a look at me and then at the four of them. He straightened up over my naked body and said in a stern voice, "Somebody better tell me what's going on out here."

Solomon stepped forward, his arms crossed over his bare chest, a simple pair of sweat pants covering him. "Stay out of this, Charlie. It's none of your business."

Charlie stepped down off the porch and approached him. "I think it most certainly_ is_ my business."

Solomon took a step closer. He towered over Charlie. "This is Quileute business. Get back in the house, old man. She's the one we're after."

"I'll do no such thing," Charlie scoffed. "You can get the hell off my—"

Solomon pushed him in the chest and Charlie fell backward onto the ground. He huffed loudly as he hit the ground hard. Del stepped up and gave him a sharp kick to the back. The loud thump as flesh hit flesh made me cringe. Perry sprang forward and took a shot at Charlie's face with his fist. Charlie's head shot back like a rag doll. Perry grabbed the front of Charlie's shirt and was cocking his fist for another blow, when a loud explosive sound stopped them all.

The sudden silence that followed was broken by the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked. Sue stood on the front porch, a rifle raised to her shoulder. The gun was still smoking from the warning shot she'd fired over their heads.

Perry let go of Charlie's shirt and Charlie slumped to the ground.

"You boys better get the hell out of here," Sue demanded, the rifle holding steady in her hands.

The four of them looked at her, calculating the odds of finishing what they'd come for.

Sue saw their hesitation. "I may not be able to kill you," she said as she pointed the gun very obviously at their crotch level, "but by God, I'll make it hurt like hell."

They took a step back. The crickets seemed insanely loud in the tense silence.

"I don't think that will be necessary," a voice came out of the night. Sam Uley took shape out of the darkness. He was followed by a phalanx of others. I recognized Jared, Quil and Paul, there were more behind them. They formed a loose semicircle around Solomon and the others.

Sue pulled the gun off her shoulder. "I'd be grateful, Sam, if you'd get this trash off my lawn."

Sam stepped next to Solomon. "I think it's best if you leave now," Sam muttered to Solomon, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Solomon's face was a study of conflicting emotions. Rebellion, fear, anger all crossed his face in quick progression. Finally, defeat took hold. With a glance of murderous hatred at me, he finally turned.

The two groups melted into the night quietly. In seconds, only Charlie was left in a heap on the lawn.

Sue ripped off her bathrobe, her pale nightgown fluttering in the breeze. She threw it over my shoulders. "Can you stand?"

I pulled the robe around my shoulders as I struggled to get my feet under me. "I think so."

She grabbed my elbow and helped me. "Get in the house and call 911."

I nodded and turned as she flew down the steps to Charlie.

*************************************************************************************************************************************

A/N I hope you are enjoying this story! The Twilight Indies Awards is a new fanfiction contest for good fanfiction that hasn't been getting all the press and review of the most popular stories. I hope that when they open nominations up on June 16th, you'll consider nominating this story.

Their website is here: www(dot)theindietwificawards(dot)com

And in the meantime, please review!


	18. Chapter 18 Roc's Cave

**Renesmee**

The next day dawned clear and bright, all traces of the night's rain gone. It was another beautiful day on Isle Esme. I strolled by Rosalie sitting in the living room, reading. I gave her a quick good morning kiss and headed for the kitchen.

Her face was almost completely healed now, but her hair was still just a hint of stubble. She had taken to wearing brightly colored scarves to cover her head. Her other injuries were healing slowly.

I poured myself some juice and leaned in the doorway, sipping. "Where's Emmett?" These days, he usually wasn't more than three paces away from Rosalie at any given time.

"He is bringing Carmen and Eleazar back to the mainland. He'll be back a bit later."

That was unusual. They left without even saying goodbye. "Is everything okay?"

She smiled at me. "Don't worry, Nessie. Everything's fine. I just had some errands I wanted Emmett to run for me early today so they went with him."

"Can I get you anything?"

"No, I'm all set. Thanks, chica."

I turned back to the kitchen and began throwing a bowl of cereal together. Jacob came in, yawning and stretching, his knuckles brushing the ceiling.

I started snickering immediately.

"What?" he asked, bewildered.

"Nice shorts," I said, around a mouthful of cereal.

He looked down at himself. He was wearing board shorts, vividly decorated with flowers in pink, orange and green. Before this week, I'd never seen him outside of jeans, sweatpants and cut-offs.

"My other ones were wet." He gave one more stretch and headed for the fridge. "You can thank Esme for these fine shorts."

"'Thank' may be the wrong word here."

He opened the carton of orange juice and started gulping directly from it.

"Hey," I complained, "other people may want to drink that."

He continued drinking, tilting his head back. His adam's apple bobbed with his swallowing, until the carton was empty. "Not any more," Jacob grinned at me, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

He tossed the carton in the trash. "So what's the plan for today?"

"It'll be low tide in an hour or so, should we go visit the caves?" There were natural caves on the other side of the island that could be explored during low tide. Caves where we would be safe from prying eyes.

"Alright, spelunking it is. I've got to eat something first," he said, rooting through the refrigerator again. I watched as he pulled out the large bowl of cold spaghetti that was leftover from last night's dinner. He grabbed a fork and started eating right from the bowl.

"You eat more than anybody I've ever seen," I said, awed.

"This is nothing," he mumbled through a mouthful of spaghetti. "I once watched Paul scarf down twenty-two hot dogs in one sitting."

"Ugh." That could turn my stomach just thinking about it.

"We have these great bonfires on the beach at La Push on Labor Day. Everybody comes. The tables are piled high with food. We do volleyball, surfing, of course, hotdogs and marshmallows. The drumming is really great. You'll have to come with me this year."

"Sure, sounds great." Then my face fell. "That is if we're home by Labor Day." It was not that far away. I'd lost track of which day it was, but I knew it was soon.

"Of course we'll be home. They can't strand us on this island forever. I'm going to need to get back soon."

If Jacob wasn't here, this island would hold no charm for me at all. In fact, being separated from Jacob now would be, well, painful. Something seismic had changed in me. I was only beginning to appreciate how deep that change had been.

We headed for the lee side of the island soon afterwards. Rosalie ordered us to be back by lunchtime.

Roc's Cave was accessible only during low tide. Named after a famous Brazilian pirate, Roche Braziliano, one had to wade a long tunnel of waist high water before emerging into a large underground cavern, which had a gently sloping beach and tortured passageways leading from it. The legends had it that he stashed his booty in these caves. As we sloshed through the water, I told Jacob of Roc's history, and his terrible acts of piracy and debauchery. "He'd kill you if you wouldn't drink with him, and then he'd get drunk and run through the streets, waving his sword at anything that moved."

"Sounds like a barrel of laughs."

I walked up the cave's interior beach and using a rock as a stepping stone, pulled myself up to sit on a natural rock ledge. This put me at the same head height as Jacob. "He once got upset that some farmers wouldn't give him their pigs, so he roasted the farmers alive."

"Well, I like a guy that appreciates a bonfire." He smiled at me, his hands on his hips. God, he was so beautiful. The water was sending refractions of light through the cave and they danced across his face and bare chest. Two more steps and he'd be close enough.

There was nothing in the world I wanted more than to kiss Jacob again. Even the blood that tempted me last night paled in comparison. "They caught him once and put him on a ship back to Spain, but he got away and was worse than before."

"Can't teach an old dog new tricks." He shook his head and took a step closer to where I sat on the cold rock.

I reached out and grabbed his hand to pull him to me, spreading my knees.

"Alright, Nessie," he whispered, "you've got me. What are you going to do with me?" His eyes twinkled with mischief.

Had he seen through me all along? He could have made this a little easier. "This," I whispered back and threw my arms around his neck.

He placed his hands on my sides. The warmth radiating from them was delicious. I hugged his lean, hard body with my knees.

"And this includes?" He raised one eyebrow.

"Oh, Jacob, just kiss me." I pulled his head to mine. His lips were hot and soft, like living satin. _Oh yes. Yes._ He pulled me tightly to his chest and the contact between our bodies electrified my skin. The way he was moving his lips against mine was causing a cascade of sensations in me. Shivers ran inside of me in the most delightful way. I hooked my feet behind him to bring him closer.

We broke for a quick breath before his lips covered mine again. His lips parted and his tongue flicked very gently along my bottom lip. _Oh, that was nice._ I tightened my grip and shifted closer to the edge of the rock ledge I was sitting on. Another moment and I was off the rock ledge completely, held against him by the strength of our embrace. His warm arm held me securely while his other hand slipped under my ass to hold me up.

His naked chest against my body, his hot hands on me and the soft sublime feelings of his lips on mine was like nothing I'd ever felt. One part of me was reveling in the overwhelming wash of sensations but another part of me was urging me on. _There's more, so much more_. A burning in my belly had started and was sending out rivers of fire along my nerves. I wanted to feel his weight on me, and as if he could read my mind, without breaking our kiss, he slowly sank to his knees and laid me on my back in the sand, his body above and against mine. A wave of pleasure washed through me. I gasped with the ecstasy of it. We stared at each other, both of us panting, our hearts beating furiously together. He started to say something, but I didn't want to hear it. I wasn't going to let him stop this time. I grabbed his hair and pressed my lips against his.

After a moment's hesitation, his kiss became deeper and more insistent. I ran my hands up and down his hot smooth back. I arched my back to press my breasts against his hard chest, suddenly annoyed by the bathing suits that prevented more contact. His hands started to move on me, kneading my sides and my hips. The fire in me was growing stronger.

He broke from my mouth to trail kisses down my neck. I shifted my weight slightly and felt the proof of his growing excitement against my hip. I rocked slightly against it and he groaned with the friction. The sound of that groan made me want to whimper with desire.

Suddenly he rolled off me and fell on his back beside me. The absence of the heat of his skin made the sudden exposure to the air feel like I'd been dowsed with a bucket of cold water. His chest heaved with his gasping breaths and his black hair lay against the sand. He looked at me and smiled. "You're going to kill me, Nessie."

"That's not what I had in mind." I rolled closer to him, and threw my arm and leg over him. He grabbed my forearm with his hand, to prevent my hand from wandering around his chest.

"Nessie," he said as his head fell back against the sand, "this is hard enough without you being quite so willing."

"Hard enough, yes," I smirked. "Come on, Jacob, isn't this what you've been waiting for?"

That stopped him. He looked at me, his face serious, searching my face. _Oops, maybe that was the wrong thing to say._

He sat up and put his arms around his knees. "But is it what_ you_ want?" he said, his eyes on the far side of the cave.

I put my hand on his back. "Yes, of course. I'm here, aren't I?"

He looked over his shoulder at me. "Do you even know what you want? How can you? You're still so goddamn young, Nessie." He twisted to face me. "How can you know your own mind? At your age, Nessie, I was still wetting my bed."

I sprang to my feet. His sudden rejection stung badly and I was angry. "I didn't ask for this crazy way of growing up, Jacob Black. Look at me." I held my hands out. I knew I filled out this bathing suit well enough. "I've been given all the right equipment. How long before I get to use it?"

He stared at me, stunned by my vehemence. His silence fueled my anger.

"I've been stuck in-between too long, you hear me?" I shouted at him. "Not vampire, not human-where the hell do I belong? I thought it was here with you. And you want to tell me I don't know what I want?"

"Nessie," he said soothingly, "I just meant that maybe—"

"That you knew what was best for me! Well, you know what? Fuck the calendar! I am ready to make my own decisions and I am old enough to know my own mind and you just better learn to deal. Don't you give me that shit about being too young." My voice started to shake with anger and the tears I was holding back. I whirled and ran down the beach, to splash my way to the cave's exit.

I heard Jacob shout above the noise I was making as I ran through the water, "Nessie! Nessie, come back!"

_Not a chance._ I was done with the whole lot of them, vampires and werewolves alike. I was tired of being yanked around and having people tell me they knew what was best for me. I splashed through the cave and back up on the beach. I had begun running along the sand covered paths that led back to the house when I heard footsteps behind me. I was fast, really fast, but so was Jacob, and his stride outmatched mine by a factor of two. Still, we were just outside the house when he finally caught up with me and yanked me by my arm to spin me around.

"Nessie," he said low and urgently. "Don't. You know I wouldn't--"

"Let go of my arm, Jacob." I glared at his hand on my arm.

His face got hard, but he dropped his hand and sighed in frustration. I spun on my heels and walked into the house.

Two hours later, I sat on my bed, combing through my wet hair. A shower had barely helped my mood. I heard Emmett's voice and another voice I didn't recognize out in the living room. Emmett was back and he'd brought company? I padded out there in curiosity.

The stranger had his back to me. Dressed in khakis and a pressed white button down shirt, he was standing over Rosalie, shaking her good hand.

His voice was low and musical, with a slight Brazilian accent. "Thank you for inviting me. It is a pleasure to see you again."

"Well, it's our pleasure to have you. I was just sorry to hear that Zafrina and Senna couldn't make it." Zafrina was a coven mate to Nahuel's aunt.

"I'm sure they would have loved to be here. A family emergency, Zafrina told me."

Rosalie gestured to me to come closer. "Renesmee, do you remember Nahuel?"

The stranger turned to me. He was of medium build, with olive skin. His thick black hair was tied neatly in a braid down his back. His dark, thickly-lashed eyes traversed me up and down. "This is Renesmee?" he asked Rosalie. Without waiting for an answer, he stepped up to me and held out his hand.

"Hi," I answered slightly bewildered, holding out my own hand, which he immediately clasped in both of his.

"You have grown into such a beauty," he said, both of his hands around mine.

"Um, thank you." I flushed with embarrassment. His eyes held my face like I had an answer to some burning question of his.

His head cocked to one side. "Do you remember me? Of course, you were so small at the time."

I studied his face. His brown eyes and warm skin told me he wasn't a vampire, but his smell wasn't completely human, either. A field, cloaks, an overwhelming sense of danger flashed through my mind. "You were there," I remembered. "When the Volturi came to Forks."

He turned to Rosalie, still holding my hand. "She does remember me," he said, the pleasure in his voice evident.

"You're like me." I whispered. Nahuel was one of a handful of the half-human, half-vampire hybrids in the world.

He stepped closer to me. "That's right. There are so very few of us." His smile spread across his face. "We half-bloods must stick together, yes?"

"Sure," I said, but I took my hand back and took a step backwards.

His eyes assessed me again. "I have a gift for you," he said, pulling a box from his pocket.

Rosalie spoke up from her seat on the couch. "Nahuel, how thoughtful of you."

I looked at the box in his hand. I shook my head. "No, I couldn't. Really,"

"Come on," he urged. "You haven't even seen it yet."

I looked at Rosalie, who nodded at me. Emmett stood by her, his hands on his hips. "Go on," he encouraged me.

Reluctantly, I took the long narrow box from his hand and opened the lid. It was a shimmering gold necklace, made of thin strips of hammered metal. It had a center stone in it that was the striking in its color intensity. I'd never seen a gemstone this intense color of neon blue. It glowed from within, as if there was a light underneath it.

"Why, it's beautiful," I murmured, taken aback. I fingered the smooth gold. "What is the stone?"

"It is paraiba tourmaline, mined only here in Brazil," Nahuel explained. "It is as rare and unique as you."

I looked at the necklace and shook my head. "No, I couldn't. Thank you, Nahuel, but it's too much."

His face fell. "Please, perhaps wear it just for today, while I am here? It would give me so much pleasure."

Rosalie and Emmett were watching me. Rosalie looked at me with her eyebrows raised, as if I were making some gaffe by refusing him.

"Alright," I conceded.

"Excellent! Let me help you." Nahuel took the box from my hand and held up the necklace. I turned around, moving my hair out of his way.

That's when I saw Jacob leaning in the doorway. He was there only long enough for me to register the pain in his eyes and then he turned away and left as soundlessly as he had come.

Guilt stabbed me in the belly. _Nice going, Renesmee._ I warred with myself as Nahuel fumbled with the clasp. Guilt at taking this silly opportunity to make Jacob jealous battled with my anger at Jacob's rejection.

"Is lunch ready?" Rosalie asked Emmett.

"On the terrace," Emmett affirmed.

"Well then, let's go." Rosalie said. "We have a nice lunch laid out for you on the terrace overlooking the garden."

Emmett picked up Rosalie bridal style and she gestured to us as he walked with her. "Nahuel, Nessie, come on."

I was surprised to see a table on the terrace done up with a tablecloth and place settings. "Excuse me," I said as we reached the doorway leading outside. "I'll go see if Jacob wants to join us."

"Oh, I don't think that's necessary," Rosalie called but I had already turned. I searched the reminder of the house, his bedroom, the media room, but he wasn't inside. I returned to the terrace, subdued.

Nahuel was very attentive to me over lunch. He actually was quite charming, but I was finding it hard to concentrate as my mind kept wondering where and how Jacob was. I picked at the lunch of cold chicken, bread and fruit.

After lunch, Rosalie suggested I walk with Nahuel down to the point to see if the dolphins were there. Rosalie's obvious machinations were beginning to annoy me, but I agreed out of politeness. We walked along the beautiful beach, while Nahuel regaled me with stories about his sisters and the jungles.

Lost in my own thoughts, I didn't realize some time had passed since Nahuel had spoken. "I'm sorry," I apologized, "you were saying?"

Nahuel looked at me with understanding eyes. "You haven't been paying attention for some time now, have you?"

"Nahuel, I'm sorry. I'm just worried, well I..."

He stopped walking and slowly traced a finger down my arm. "It's the wolf, correct? He has already captured your heart."

"Yes." I whispered.

"Ah," he nodded. "Why don't you go back to the house to see if you can find him?" His face was kind and his eyes shone with compassion. "I think I will take advantage of this beautiful beach a few moments longer."

"You don't mind?" I was really being a jerk to everybody today.

He shook his head. "Go," he insisted. "You can tell him I think he is a lucky dog." He threw his head back to laugh.

"Thank you." I gave his hand a squeeze and spun around to run back to the house.

I trotted on to the patio, and through the open French doors, I could hear Rosalie and Jacob going at it again.

"I think we should head back to Forks now," Jacob said.

"Why, does Nahuel have you worried?" Rosalie asked acerbically.

"No, of course, not—"

"Well, he should. He's a lot closer to her kind than you'll ever be." Rosalie was at her bitchiest. "He'll be able to actually provide for her. She won't be stuck living above some gas station in some godforsaken backwater."

I knew a shot like that was going to hit home with him. I stepped through the doors. "Don't listen to her, Jacob. You know that means nothing to me."

His eyes lit up at my arrival.

Rosalie wasn't done yet. "Nessie, you don't know all our family history with Jacob. Did he tell you he'd been in love before?"

"Yes, he did." Why was she telling me this?

"Did he tell you it was with your mother?" Rosalie asked smugly.

"Bella?" I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. Rosalie was lying, right? I looked at Jacob, his eyebrows drawn together, his large hands open at his sides. "Jacob? Is that true?"

The pain crossing his face was almost unbearable to watch. He took a step towards me. "It was a long time ago."

I suddenly had to gasp for a breath. I turned away to look at the beach I'd just left. He'd been in love with my mother?

Rosalie kept going. "That whole pack of yours is vicious and untrustworthy. Who do you think was helping Jane in Alaska?"

Now Jacob was getting angry. "Just what the hell are you talking about?"

"Tell him, Nessie. Tell him who forced you down the mountain into Jane's hands. Tell him who was waiting for you –"

Emmett stepped into the room. "Rosalie!" he barked. "That's enough!"

"Nessie?" Jacob was looking to me for some kind of truth. "What is she talking about?"

I swallowed hard. "In Alaska," I whispered. "There were Quileutes."

He was still while he worked that out. You could see when he made the connection. "Oh, Jesus," he muttered and tilted his head back in exasperation. His black eyes flashed when he looked back at me. "And when were you going to tell me about this?"

"I don't know," I said bitterly. "Maybe when you told me about you and Bella?"

"I think that's a little bit different." His voice rose. "No, I think that's a whole lot different."

"To you, Jacob. Maybe to you." I whirled and ran into my room before they could see the tears starting.

I slammed the door and threw myself on the bed, clutching at the pillows so my sobs weren't too loud. I don't know why I even bothered, they'd hear if I picked my nose in here. I was so tired of having absolutely no privacy. Speaking of privacy, what would my father think when he read these events in my mind. Oh, great, that started the sobs up again.

I finally stopped long enough to listen to the rest of the house. I heard nothing. Nothing at all. I got up and padded into the living room. I saw Rosalie out on the patio alone. She called to me but I ignored her. I walked through the rest of the house, but no one else was around. I peeked into Jacob's room. His drawers were open and empty.

My heart fell into my feet. _No, no. He wouldn't go, he couldn't. _

I ran out to the patio. "Where's Jacob?" I demanded of Rosalie.

"Nessie," she began," don't you think—"

"Where's Jacob?!" I screamed at her.

Taken aback, she stared at me. "Emmett's taking him and Nahuel back to the mainland," she answered in a small voice.

"No!" I cried. I whirled and ran through the house to the front door that would take me to the path that led to the boat dock. I was crying while I ran as fast as I could down the sandy path, tripping twice over roots I could barely see because of my tears. _Please, please let me catch them. He can't go. I'll die if he leaves me like this. No, no._

I broke through the foliage to the beach where the dock was. My heart fell as I saw the dock was empty. I saw the boat with the three men in it, pulling out of the lagoon, some thirty yards away.

"Jacob!" I yelled desperately, as I splashed into the water. They couldn't hear me above the noise of the boat's motor. I ran further into the surf, screaming Jacob's name louder. I could see his back and his black hair being tossed by the wind. "Jacob! No! Don't go!" I yelled, sobbing, pushing into the darker water. "Don't go!"

"Jacob!" I screamed as loud as I could, still pushing deeper. I lost my footing and fell completely into the water. I twisted in the water, but the steep angle of the beach had caught up with me and there was no sand beneath my feet. I writhed fiercely trying to get some purchase with my feet, but around me all I could see was the murky stirred up water. I flailed violently and got my head halfway above the surface of the water to take a half-liquid breath, but I fell below the surface of the water again, choking.

It occurred to me that I could die here. Irrationally, the thought calmed me down. Life wouldn't be worthwhile without Jacob, anyway. Did it really matter? Coughing underwater, I watched the fine particulates drift past me. It was really rather peaceful down here, there was no sound. The burning in my lungs was uncomfortable, but there were probably worse ways to go. I stopped moving and let the peacefulness surround me.

Suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around my chest and brought my head above water. My body automatically started to spasm and I started choking in earnest. Seawater bubbled out of my mouth and coughing wracked my body while powerful arms held me from behind in a vice-like grip as I was pulled through the water. I was waist high in the water when I could finally take a breath. I twisted in the arms that held me and almost climbed up Jacob's body trying to reach his face.

I was coughing and calling his name as I threw my arms around him. He grabbed my face between his hands and started peppering my face with kisses. I was crying with relief that he'd come back. I tried to apologize, but his lips kept crossing mine, interrupting my tearful attempts. He was still for a moment, long enough for me to see the tears that had collected in the corners of his eyes. "Crazy girl," he whispered. "Don't you know vampires sink?"

I was laughing or crying, then, I couldn't tell which. He gathered me in his strong arms, bending me backwards like a bow while I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him with every fiber in my body.

******************************************************

A/N Hell, yes you can review! It's the option reight down there!

You'll feel good, I'll feel good.

Its win-win!


	19. Chapter 19 Something Taken Something Giv

**Leah**

It was after eight in the morning when Sue finally came home. She threw her purse on the kitchen table, weariness showing in her face and her shoulders. Pouring herself a cup of coffee, she turned to where I stood watching her.

"How's Charlie?" I asked..

"Well, they've taped a cracked rib. They're holding him for a day or so, in case there's kidney damage. He's got a black eye like nobody's business."

I felt nauseous with guilt. "Mom, I am so sorry—"

She held her hand up. "Leah, I am in no mood to listen to you right now. You're going to make this right, child, one way or the other."

"Of course," I said. "I just want to know how."

She looked at me over her glasses, and then turned away. "We'll be going to see the council at one o'clock.

"The council?" Could there be anything worse than facing that group of old men and letting them judge me?

She picked up the newspaper lying on the table and headed out of the kitchen. "You be ready at twelve thirty."

I spent the next few hours vacillating between self-righteousness and guilt. My thoughts ran between 'I was just doing what the whole pack should be doing' to 'I was used unknowingly' and 'If I hadn't been such a stupid shit, Charlie wouldn't be hurt.'

Seth showed up shortly before we were to leave and the three of us climbed in my mother's Ford. The ride to the council was quiet. I spent it in the back seat looking out the window, wondering how this was all going to play out.

We climbed the steps to the council house. Quil and Paul were on the porch, their faces hard, watching as we walked past. Sue nodded to them, but there was no return greeting. We continued down the polished hallway, the walls littered with community announcements and committee news.

We turned into the main conference room. The chairs had been set up in a semi-circle with one set in the center. Sue, Seth and I took the chairs along the wall, under the giant stylized eagle on the wall. Gradually the council members trickled in. Sam took the seat at the head of the semicircle with Paul next to him. Neither of them looked at me as they took their seats. Quil came in with his grandfather, Old Quil, who was frailer than I remembered. He smiled at me as he sat down, and I was so grateful for this small sign of acknowledgement.

Billy Black wheeled in, and his eyes were black daggers. I swallowed the sudden lump that appeared in my throat. I heard Embry laughing as he came down the hall with Collin and Brady, but as they entered the hushed room, they ducked their heads and quieted.

At last, the seats were filled and Sam called the meeting to order. "We're here today because of the actions of a select few. As protectors of the tribe, we have been trusted with the power of the tribe. This power has come down through our fathers and their fathers before them and their fathers before them. It is a great power to be used for the good of the tribe. However, it seems this power, and the trust it entails, has been abused. As most of you know, Carlisle Cullen called me and yesterday we met at Quillayute River. It was hard to hear what he told me. Hard."

He pursed his lips briefly, and then looked at me. "Leah, we need to hear your story." Sam indicated the chair in the center of the floor.

Well, this was my cue. Suddenly, I found my backbone. Damn it, I wasn't going to be intimidated by this bunch of old ladies. I held my head up and walked to the chair Sam had indicated.

"What do you want to know?" I asked, my chin raised defiantly.

"Start at the beginning," Old Quil suggested hoarsely.

I thought for a moment. "I'd been living in San Francisco for several months when I was given a business card that had the name of Colonel Freed on it. It said he was a security officer at Halcyon Corporation. After a very brief interview, I was hired to do secretarial work, or so I thought."

I told them everything. Seth brought me a glass of water at one point, but they let me speak uninterrupted. The only pause had been when I was telling them about finding Jacob at the bottom of the gorge and the unwillingness of the pack to help him. Billy hissed sharply between his teeth and wheeled himself out of the room. I sat, stunned, until Sam prompted me to keep going.

Some time later, I was finishing up with the events of the previous night. "They chased me back to the house. Charlie came out to defend me and that's when they hit him. Then Sam and the rest showed up."

I put my hands in my lap. I was drained. There was a moment of silence while Sam silently surveyed the remaining council members. "Thank you, Leah. We'd like you to have a seat outside."

My wounded leg throbbed in complaint as I moved stiffly from the inactivity. I took the bench in the hallway, as the door thudded closed behind me. I sighed, letting my head fall back. It was out of my hands now. I felt lighter than I had in a long time though.

Ten minutes later, Seth came out the door. "They're going to be a while. Why don't you come back in an hour or so?"

I didn't know if that was good news or bad news. "Alright," I said slowly. Seth turned and went back inside.

Peggy Foster, the tribe's Treasurer, passed me, clutching a sheaf of papers. Her look of disapproval was enough to chase me from the council house. I wandered into the woods surrounding it. I walked far enough into the woods that I was certain I wouldn't be seen, and then undressed.

I phased and it felt good to start running along the pathways of the forest. Just running. Trying again not to think, just running. The cadence of my footfalls was like the beat of the drums at the tribal gatherings. Feeling the muscles and sinew pull, listening to the rhythm of my breathing while the woods around me whispered their secret song. I felt the tug of the land pull at me, like strings attached to my heart. These cool dark woods were my home; they would always be. The rocky, hard beaches and the hidden icy streams were a part of me. Humbled, I bowed my head with gratitude and love for my home.

I felt the far off shimmer of a phasing, and Sam's voice was in my head. _Please return to the council._

_Of course, _I responded. Then he was gone before I could catch the tenor of his thoughts.

I turned and headed back to the council house. They were standing and talking in groups as I entered the room. Seth came up to me. "They are still debating what they are going to do. They want you and me to go with them."

"Where are we going?" I asked, surprised.

"To see Joseph Longbear."

"Joseph Longbear? Is he still alive?"

"Apparently so. He lives with his great niece in Bogachiel."

Joseph Longbear? He had to be over a hundred years old. I thought he was one of the original treaty-makers with the Cullens. I'd never met him, but he figured in some of the tales that Old Quil told.

Sam drove, with Old Quil up front. I sat in the back seat sandwiched uncomfortably between Seth and Paul.

Thankfully, the house was just twenty minutes away and we pulled up to a well-maintained Victorian, with a riotous flower garden out front.

Sam knocked and an older woman in her fifties met us at the door. Plump and grandmotherly looking, she greeted Old Quil with a kiss and the rest of us warmly. She told us to call her Esther and led us to the back of the house where a sunroom overlooked a huge vegetable garden. "He's been waiting for you," she said to Old Quil. "He's been having a good day today."

There, in a well-worn wing chair sat Joseph Longbear, his sparse white hair in a braid down his back. His skin was covered with crisscrossed lines, like someone had repeatedly crumbled and straightened a piece a paper. He sat frail and hunched in the chair, a flannel shirt buttoned all the way up to his neck and a crocheted afghan on his lap despite the heat. The fingers of his large hands were knotted with arthritis.

His eyes, though, were like glowing embers in his dark, wise face, the kind of face that smiles more than it frowns. He had an air of patience and serenity around him, like someone who spent a lot of time watching and thinking. He greeted Old Quil in Quileute and the two of them shook hands warmly.

I was never proficient in Quileute. There were probably less than a dozen fluent speakers of it left in the tribe. They taught it in the reservation school, but I was only catching one word in ten as Old Quil and Joseph chatted.

Old Quil was apparently making introductions, first gesturing at Sam, Paul and Seth. They each nodded in turn, and Joseph assessed each one with his bright, knowing eyes. Old Quil came to me, and Joseph smiled broadly at me before making a remark and a gesture that would have come off as rude from anyone else. I looked at him in surprise. Of course, the Quileute I best remembered were the swear words the kids taught each other, and if I wasn't mistaken, he'd just said something about screwing me. Why, that dirty old man. Old Quil and he broke into laughter at my expression, both of them wheezing with amusement.

We took seats on the sofa and chairs in the room, with Old Quil next to Joseph and the three others on the sofa. Sam, Seth and Paul sat in exactly the same position, perched forward, their hands clasped loosely. Joseph motioned toward me and made a long speech to Old Quil. His voice wavered a bit as he spoke.

"He recognizes you as a wolf maiden," Old Quil said. "He says he has seen only one other before you, and that was when he was very young."

A wolf maiden? He must mean that he knew I was one of the pack. I had always thought I was the first female. How interesting to find out there had been another before me.

Sam asked him a question in halting Quileute, and Joseph answered in his quavering and hoarse voice. The three of them were well into a conversation when Esther came into the room to ask if we'd like some lemonade.

There was general agreement to that idea. Esther asked if I'd help her, so I followed her into the bright inviting kitchen with a large center island.

"There's a tray in the cabinet over the sink," she pointed out as she opened the refrigerator. "Would you get it please?"

I set it on the island counter as Esther brought over a large pitcher with condensation dripping down the sides.

"Thank you, dear." She turned to the cabinets filled with glassware.

I turned the tray in my hands. "How old is Joseph?"

"He'll be a hundred and three this July." Her pride in him showed in her voice. She started pouring the lemonade.

"Do you know about…?" I was dying to ask her if she knew about the werewolf pack but didn't know how to phrase it. How do you ask a stranger if they believe in the supernatural?

I needn't have worried though. "The whole shape shifter thing?" she asked. I nodded. She set the pitcher down on the counter. "I know. My husband and kids think it's all myths and legends. We know differently, don't we, Leah?"

I was dying to know about this other female that Joseph had mentioned. "Did Joseph ever talk to you about a female werewolf?"

She smiled at me kindly. "Yes, I imagine you would want to know about her." She picked up the pitcher and resumed pouring. "Uncle Joe did tell me the story once or twice. Kwaiya Wisatsu'upat was her name. Means Woman of the Water.

"She was a shape shifter and a fierce warrior. She was alone when she came upon a Cold One in the winter as it bent over a child. After a violent battle, she killed and burned the Cold One. Later, she fell in love, and in order to have the children of her beloved, she left the pack. You know, once you renounce the pack, you cannot return. The Cold One's mate came, and in vengeance, killed Kwaiya's husband and child. Kwaiya could not protect them in human form."

I was fascinated. "What did she do?"

"She left La Push in the middle of the winter without a coat or shoes. Her tracks ended at First Beach. The legend says her spirit inhabited an orca and she swims Puget Sound, mourning."

"She renounced the pack? And then had a child?"

"That's right." She picked up the tray of frosty glasses. "Would you grab the pitcher?"

We went back out to the sunroom, where Old Quil was speaking to Joseph. Sam was following the conversation intently and said nothing as Esther handed him a glass which he put down on the table in front of him. Seth and Paul took their glasses with murmured thanks.

The lemonade was delicious. I turned to Esther to tell her so, but she had already left the room.

Old Quil finished speaking and sat back in his chair. Joseph sat quietly, thinking. The rest of us sipped our lemonade and waited. Joseph spoke and the tremors I had noted in his voice before were gone. He spoke softly but with authority.

Old Quil translated. "It is a great power to be a shape shifter. You can either accept the power or walk away."

There was another pause as Joseph spoke. Old Quil said, "If you accept it, it carries with it great responsibility. Responsibility to the tribe."

Joseph looked at me as he spoke next. Old Quil continued. "The power is not used for the gain of one person over another. It comes from the land, and like the land, must be treated with reverence."

I felt my face flush and I dropped my eyes. Suddenly, I was burning with shame.

Sam asked Joseph a question in Quileute and the three of them were off into a deep conversation again. Every now and then Old Quil would interpret a word or a phrase for Sam that he couldn't catch in Quileute.

A few more minutes and then it became obvious the conversation was winding down. Sam stood up and the rest of us followed. From his seat, Joseph had one more comment for Old Quil, smiling at me while he talked.

"Joseph says that next time you are looking for a good time, you know where to find him."

From what I could understand, the comment had been a bit smuttier than that. "Please tell him thank you, and I will remember."

Old Quil translated back to Joseph and the two of them were wheezing with laughter again.

The ride back to the council house was quiet again. I couldn't stop thinking about the story Esther had told me. _Later she fell in love, and in order to have the children of her beloved, she left the pack. You know, once you renounce the pack, you cannot return._

Was the barrenness I experienced just a temporary thing? If I gave up shape shifting, would I be able to have a family? Suddenly, doors I had long considered locked were being thrown open for me. An unexpected flood of options was spreading out before me. Somehow, the unforeseen possibilities scared me more than the path I thought I was trapped in ever had.

We arrived back at the council house. Sam turned to me and said, "I need to speak with the other council members. It will be a few more minutes. Seth, you can stay with your sister." The two of us wandered over to lean against my mother's car.

A few minutes later, Paul came down the front steps of the council house. "There will be a meeting tonight at Hacheecha Thlopuh." This was a clearing not far from a waterfall on the Quillayute River. "Be there when the moon rises." He looked at his watch. "That will be around nine tonight."

"Alright," I agreed.

"Seth, you can escort your sister, but then you'll be running watch tonight."

Seth nodded his assent, and Paul turned away.

"You okay?" Seth asked me.

It was the waiting around that was killing me. "I just want to get it over with, whatever's going to happen."

The hours passed slowly, but at last, it was time for Seth and I to start out for the clearing where the meeting would be held. We were both dressed in minimal clothing since we would phase and run there as wolves. Once in the forest, we separated to phase.

_Seth, you there? _I was done stripping and phasing. _Seth?_

I couldn't hear him. But then he pushed through the bushes in front of me, his ears laid back along his furry head. Something deep inside of me broke, and I felt a hole in my chest. My brother and I were no longer in the same pack. I couldn't hear him.

He whimpered and bumped me with his nose. Together we wheeled and started the run towards the meeting place. I couldn't hear anybody else. No, wait, I had heard Sam earlier. I guessed that without a pack I could only hear other Alphas, and apparently only when they specifically addressed me.. I was okay with that. My thoughts were scrambled enough on their own without having to pick through somebody else's.

I heard Solomon and my stomach dropped. _Is that you, Leah_?

_Solomon, where are you? _

_We're on the south side of Lonesome Creek. Do you know what this meeting's about?_

_That's fairly obvious, isn't it? _

_Collin told me they wanted to hear about what we had been doing. Killing the vampires. I think they are finally willing to listen to reason._

I didn't have to speak for him to hear the skepticism in my thoughts.

_You are such a patsy, Leah. Not everyone is as squeamish as you. There's a reason I'm an Alpha, I should have been one all along._

_Solomon, the depth of your ignorance astounds me._

_We'll see. _

The new moon had just risen above the horizon and was casting its pale silver light on the large field in front of us. On the north side, I could see several human figures standing together, talking in low voices. The deep woods at the edges of the field were an inky black, but as I watched, several more figures stepped into view.

Seth nudged me with his nose and I looked back at him. I licked his muzzle and the two of us touched noses. Then he turned and sped away.

I changed into the clothes I had brought and stepped out into the field. I walked barefoot across the grass, the damp stalks tickling my ankles. So far, I counted nine Quileutes, including Sam. Only those in the wolf pack, the protectors, were here.

From the south side of the field, Solomon and his pack emerged from the darkness. I noted Evan was missing. As we all walked towards the center, more figures emerged from the sides of the field. There were twenty-five of us together, all of us in human form and almost all of the werewolves, with just four missing, including Seth, Jacob and Evan.

We met at the center of the field. The weak moonlight glinted off the chests and shoulders of the powerful men surrounding me, their faces left dark and shadowed. The whole scene was monochrome in shades of grey and black, the night having washed all color from the scene.

Sam stood in the front of the loose circle that had formed around me, Solomon and the others. "It's only the protectors of the tribe here," he said to the circle. "This is a pack matter."

"Your pack, maybe," Solomon sneered. "I've come to tell you there is a different path you should take. One that my pack and I are walking and with great success." He put his hands on his hips and looked around the circle. "We are making a difference in the war with the Cold Ones. We find them and destroy them. We don't wait for them to wander into our territory and take victims from under our noses."

I was incensed with his idiocy. "You do it by helping other vampires. You serve as pawns for the worst killer of them all."

"We're reducing the ranks of murderers! Isn't a temporary alliance worth it if we can save people's lives?"

Sam spoke calmly. "What people, Solomon? There are no Quileutes in Atlanta or Boston or in Alaska. There had been one, but you turned your back on him."

"You mean Jacob?" Solomon scoffed. "That Cullen ass-kisser? He's not a Quileute"

"He's more of a Quileute than you'll ever be!" I shouted.

"And Charlie Swan?" Sam asked. "You were protecting him?" He raised an eyebrow, sarcasm touching his voice.

"He was interfering where he shouldn't have been." Solomon retorted.

"It was his land you were on," Sam pointed out. "We are not the world's saviors. The power we are given is from the tribe and for the tribe. You disrespect it when you use it for vigilante justice or for your own gain."

"Is this drivel what you brought me to hear?" Solomon scowled at Sam. "We are killing vampires— that is what the power is for!"

"No," said Sam. "It is not for killing; it is for protecting, and there is a world of difference."

"Surely not everyone here is a coward. Who will join me and leave these sheep dressed in wolves' clothing?" Solomon glared around the circle.

The silence stretched, broken only by the hoot of an owl in the distance. Standing by Sam, Paul turned and faced outward from the circle, leaving him with his back to us. Quil and Embry were next to turn. Gradually, in twos and threes, the rest of the circle turned so their backs were to us. Only Sam remained facing Solomon, Jimmy, Perry, Del and I in the middle of the circle.

Sam regarded me and said, "You are less culpable than them, Leah. The choice is yours. Do you want to stand in judgment or do you wish to rejoin us?"

I looked at Solomon whose face was lined with disgust. Jimmy, Perry and Del were wide-eyed with uncertainty. The knowledge that it was I who had led them into this weighed on my heart. Even if I had tried to stop them later, it had been me who brought them into Halcyon. Surely, some of the deaths we had dealt could be laid at my feet.

"No," I told Sam. "It's right that I'm here."

Sam nodded and then turned his back to us as well. The night seemed suddenly static and tense. In the silence, the owl hooted three times.

Solomon threw back his head with a forced laugh. "This is it? We're ignored by you? Come on, guys, let's leave these rabbits to themselves." He pushed his way between the backs of those standing on the south side of the circle as the others followed. He turned and looked back at me through the path he had made. "You coming, Leah?"

"Not a chance, dunce."

He shrugged. "Hey, it's your funeral." Followed by his pack mates, they strode back to the line of trees. I hoped it wouldn't be too long before the Forks Police Department began asking them questions about the assault on Charlie.

Gradually, the rest of the circle started to break up, as Sam's pack headed for the trees as well. There was no discussion among them, and they faded into the forest like ghosts. In the space of seconds, I found myself alone, hugging my arms to my chest in the moonlight, wondering what had happened.

I heard Seth's howl in the distance. It was a long, drawn out cry, and he sounded heartbroken. I turned for the trees and found a secluded spot there. I wrapped my clothes around my ankle and tried to phase.

Nothing happened. I pulled the heat into me and tried to start the shimmering that signaled a phase. Nothing. A third time I tried, but there was none of the tingling that preceded a change. This was it, then; the judgment of the tribe. The magic had been taken back and left me just a woman.

This had been the significance of the circle. I heard yelling in the forest and assumed that Solomon and the others were experiencing the same lack of power.

I pulled my clothes back on and began the trek back to Charlie's house. As I walked, I could hear an escort of wolves pacing me. I was grateful for their protection, but even more grateful that they kept their distance. I was not entirely successful in keeping my tears at bay. Some part of me that I hadn't even paid attention to had been torn out of me, and I felt its loss like a missing limb. To never again run with the pack, to dance on four legs along the paths of the forests, or to bay joyfully at the moon in chorus was a huge loss, and grief swallowed me up.

The way home took much longer in human form and it was past midnight before I saw the lights of the house.

I let myself in the dark house and headed upstairs to the shower. There I was greeted by a sight I had not seen in over seven years. I was menstruating.

**A/N** I've put a couple of notes on the Native American stuff at the thread on

www(dot)twilighted(dot)net/forum/viewtopic(dot)php?f=60&t=3709

Come join me, ask me a question, tell me I'm crazy, whatever.

Oh, and reviews! I love 'em, you've got 'em, share!


	20. Chapter 20 Another Conversation At Night

**Renesmee**

I was twisted and tangled in the bed sheet. I'd been tossing and turning for the last hour and sleep was no closer than it had been when I had first laid down. Even the thin camisole and shorts I was wearing were too hot.

This was our last night on Isle Esme. Emmett had taken Nahuel back to the mainland this afternoon and once Jacob had fished me out of the water, we'd decided we would catch a flight back home tomorrow. Jacob needed to talk to the pack and I was anxious for news of my parents. They were heading to Boston tonight where they suspected Caius, Jane and the others were meeting.

That was part of the reason why sleep was avoiding me. The other part was in the bedroom on the other side of the house. Knowing Jacob was there and alone called to me. Is this what it meant to be in love? It was torturous not being around him. Moments spent outside of his presence were wasted moments. It was like half of me was missing when he wasn't there.

This was likely our last night of privacy. Once we caught up with my parents, they'd be able to see the change in our relationship. Would they be able to accept that I was growing up and all that meant? Would I have to threaten them with a "Juliet" if they tried to prevent me from seeing Jacob? What about the move we had planned to the East Coast?

I sat up in bed, my mind made up. I wasn't going to waste another moment. I grabbed my pillow and padded out to the living room. Emmett sat on the sofa, pieces of his cell phone scattered on the cushion beside him. He was peering at a small piece in his one hand while the other held a tiny screwdriver. He looked up at me in surprise as I marched up to him, pillow tucked under my arm

"I'm going to Jacob's room and you're not going to do anything about it," I told him sternly.

A grin started across his face, but he struggled to keep it away. He put his hands up and shook his head in surrender.

Satisfied, I marched out of the living room and down the hall to Jacob's room. The light in his room was on, shining underneath the door. I knocked softly on the door, turned the knob and peeked in.

Jacob was lying in bed on his side, his chest bare and a thin sheet pulled up to his waist. The sheet hinted at the muscular form under it. His long hair hung loosely around his face. An open book was on the bed next to him.

"Hey, Nessie." He smiled at me.

I slid in the door and closed it shut behind me. "Is it alright if I sleep in here tonight?" I asked in a small voice.

His eyes suddenly turned wary. Most likely he was concerned this was another seduction attempt.

"I'll be good, I promise. Cross my heart." I made the sign across my chest.

"Alright," he relented with a smile. "Come on in."

"Thanks!" I grabbed my pillow and laid on the bed on top of the sheet next to him.

He propped his head on his hand as he looked down at me. "So, what brings you here tonight?"

His dark eyes were warm and in the light of the bedside lamp, his skin was tawny. His black hair fell like a curtain from his head, gleaming softly. A hint of a smile curled his lips. My breath caught in my throat as I looked at him. I couldn't think when he looked at me like that. When had he become so breathtaking? How had I ever missed this all the years I had known him?

I rolled to my side away from him. Maybe if I didn't look at him, I could talk. "Tell me about you and Bella." It was the first thing that came to my mind.

He sighed and rolled to his back. "Well, we'd known each other most of our lives. It was when she moved in with Charlie in high school that we became friends. And then when your father left her, which pretty much broke her heart, I was a shoulder to cry on. She was a basket case for a long time."

I looked back at him over my shoulder. "He left her? When was that?"

"Well, let's see. I was a sophomore so she must have been a junior in high school. He broke up with her and he and the whole family left Forks."

"Why did he leave her? Why did they break up?" You could fill a library with the family history that parents don't tell their children.

"He knew it would be bad for her to be with him. He really dragged her through the mud, she was a mess. I tried to help her pick up the pieces and move on."

I rolled back to face him. "So it was a pity thing?"

"No," he shook his head. "I really did love her, but he came back. I really tried to stop her from getting back together with him, but she wasn't going to be swayed. I think she just found the whole vampire thing too glamorous."

"Glamorous?" I don't know if I found chasing deer and bears through the woods glamorous.

"Well, you know, the speed, the strength."

"So, then what?"

"They got married and had the most amazing girl in the world." He smiled at me.

"And Bella became a vampire," I added.

"That's right." He was trying to hide it but I could still see the pain in his eyes.

"Does that bother you? Does my being half-vampire bother you?"

He rolled to his back and looked up at the ceiling. "Alright, let me be honest about this. Yes, it bothered me that she became a vampire. It still bothers me. It was a terrible price to pay. I don't think it was worth it, but it's not my life and nobody asked my opinion." He turned his head to look at me. "You, on the other hand…"

"Yes?"

He was teasing me, but then he got serious. "From the moment I saw you, you were the most incredible creature I'd ever laid eyes on. Being imprinted was just the gilding on the lily." He reached out and moved a tendril of hair from my face before cupping my cheek. "I would have loved you Renesmee, no matter what. Your intelligence, your bravery, your kindness, they're all parts of you that I love. If that comes in a half-vampire package, then sign me up."

I was speechless with emotion. He kept going. "I was going to try to stay away from you and let you grow up on your own, but I can't. It's like fighting gravity, there's no way I can win." He smiled wistfully. "You have me as long as you want me. And probably even longer."

"Oh, Jacob," I cried. My promise to 'be good' flew out the window as I impulsively threw my arm around his neck and kissed his hot, sweet lips. As his surprise wore off, he slipped his arms behind my back and kissed me back harder. He was so smooth, so soft and so warm. His lips caressed mine open and his hot breath mingled with mine. I could feel a tightening in my stomach as our bodies pressed together. I broke our kiss to gasp for a breath while he laid a line of kisses down my jaw to my shoulder.

"Okay," he said into my hair, "you've talked me into it."

"No, no," I said laughing, pushing at his chest. "No, you were right. We should wait."

He pulled back to look me in the eyes, his face hovering above mine. "I was right? This is what I get to be right about?"

"Well, I'm just thinking about when we see Mom and Dad next." I looked into his dark eyes, knowing he'd understand. My parents were important to me; I'd want their blessing on this. I was more likely to get it if it didn't seem I was rushing along at the mercy of my hormones.

Jacob released me, rolled to his back and sighed. "Oh, that."

"They're going to want me to move east with them," I whispered. The realization hit me hard. Before I had been excited about going, but so much had happened. So much had changed.

Jacob looked at me intently. His black eyes pierced down to my soul. "What do _you_ want, Nessie?"

I let my eyes wander over him. His dark beauty was breathtaking. But there was so much more than just his beauty that bound me to him. His heartbeat, his joy, his impulsiveness, his heat, the sheer humanness of him. "You," I murmured, placing my hand on his smooth chest. .

"That you have," he whispered back, placing his hand over mine.

I could not imagine him living with my family. Moving him across country, to take him away from everything he loved, his tribe, his family, his home. It would be like caging a lion, like moving a tropical sun-loving plant into a dark cold corner to wither. I couldn't watch that happen. But I couldn't be without him.

"I want to stay in Forks with you," I said and as soon as I said it, I knew it was true.

Jacob's eyes widened. "You'd do that?"

I nodded.

He threw his head back and hooted. Then he grabbed me and rolled so I was trapped in his arms as he pulled me on top of him. "Oh, it will be great, you'll see. You can live with Charlie and Sue. We can get you enrolled in the high school and you can come to all the tribe gatherings." He started peppering me with kisses. "I'll show you how to swim, hell, I'll teach you how to surf!"

I giggled at his enthusiasm. But a thought struck me and I laid my hand on his chest. "Your tribe, Jacob. Will they accept me? I'm a Cullen."

"Of course they will," he said, hugging me tighter, still carried away with his enthusiasm, kissing my shoulders.

I pulled back from him, forcing him to listen to me. "Jacob, I don't think it's going to be as easy as that."

My concern finally got through to him. He stilled beneath me.

"Jacob," I whispered. I put my hand to his face and showed him what had happened when I found him and Leah down at the river in Alaska. How she said this had been a battle going on for centuries and that he was going to have to make a choice.

He looked at me for a moment before a tremor ran down his body from head to toes. He rolled me to the side and jumped out of the opposite side of the bed. He was wearing cotton pajamas pants that hung loosely from his narrow hips. His shadow loomed large against the bedroom wall.

He faced the wall, his fists clenched, the muscles in his arms and broad chest tense. "Fucking Leah. What in hell is she talking about?"

I pushed myself up to kneel on the bed, watching him. I clutched the pillow to me. I could feel tears collecting in my eyes. "It's always going to be like this, isn't it?" I whispered. Despair settled on me, like a shroud. "My family, your tribe." Would there ever be a place for me, for us?

Jacob turned around and saw I was trembling. He grabbed me by the shoulders. "Nessie, don't worry about this, they will accept you. Leah is just, well… Leah."

"Jacob, our families have been enemies for centuries. How can we just push all that aside?"

"This is not about our families. This is about you and me. I'm werewolf, but I'm human as well. You're a vampire, but you're human too. It's in that intersection that we meet, Nessie. It's in that overlap of our identities. Everything else is irrelevant."

I looked in his dark eyes, which were burning with intensity. I allowed myself the littlest hope that it might work out. I would let his enthusiasm and endless optimism carry me, for a little while at least. I managed a small smile.

He sat on the bed next to me, putting his long arm around my shoulders, and kissed my hair. "And your parents will just have to accept that you're growing up." Suddenly, he sounded a lot less confidant.

The two of us sat on the edge of the bed, both of us lost in thought and gazing at the rug at our feet. As one, we both took a deep breath followed by a long sigh.

This was really going to provoke my father. He wouldn't have been that pissed since I took the Aston Martin out for a joy ride and crashed it into a tree. Jacob had been around for that little escapade as well. I felt a smile play around my lips at the memory.

Jacob saw the change in my face and leaned over to me. "What?"

I raised my head. "You know, this is going to really piss off my father."

"You think?" he asked smiling. "Probably worse that that Aston Martin adventure."

"I was just thinking of that," I said, my eyes wide.

"Well, that you deserved. That was a sweet little car."

"Ha! You weren't the one that got two weeks with no TV or computer! I seem to remember somebody sitting in the passenger seat next to me."

"I was just making sure you didn't hurt yourself."

I smacked him with the pillow I had been holding. "The hell you were. I remember you asking for a turn."

Laughing, he put his arms up to defend himself. "Yeah, but I wasn't the one who crashed it."

"That tree jumped out in front of me!" I smacked him with the pillow again.

He grabbed me by the waist and flung me down on the bed, holding my wrists together in his one hand above my head. "Oh, it did, did it?" he said, grinning broadly.

He was half-lying on top of me, our faces close. His hair fell forward on either side of his face, so all I could see was his dark eyes, his smooth flawless chestnut skin, his full lips stretched into that carefree grin. I felt the strength of his hand as he easily encircled my wrists.

I hoped he had more strength than I had, because another moment and I would be kissing him, Mom and Dad be damned. With his free hand, he smoothed my hair. Then he pushed himself up. "Um, maybe we should try to get some sleep. It'll be a long trip tomorrow."

"Killjoy," I muttered but I got up so I could slip under the sheet. He stayed on top of the sheet, but pulled up a thin cotton blanket and lay down beside me. He reached across me and clicked the lamp off. "Good night Nessie," he whispered before kissing my forehead.

"Good night Jacob." I reached for his hot brown hand and clutched it against my heart.

The darkness was warm and comforting. "You'll teach me to surf?" I whispered.

"I promise," he whispered back.

We drifted off to sleep with his hand nestled by my heart.

**A/N GOOD NEWS!**

Bonus chapter! In a collaboration with hellacullen, we have written a Rosalie POV chapter. its here .net/s/5160437/1/Rosalie

Please spread a little ove and leave a review!


	21. Chapter 21 Play Ball!

**A/N Alright, Time to Kick some ass!**

**Bella**

The night was warm, humid and sticky, like only August nights in a city can be. Occasionally the sky would flash with a distant lightning strike, making the air seem pregnant with expectancy. Clouds hung above the city, heavy with unexpressed rain.

We stood on the sidewalk outside of a nightclub on Lansdowne Street in Boston. Across the street, the high walls of Fenway Park, the baseball field, loomed. The two bouncers standing outside the door to the club eyed our group as we talked among ourselves.

"You're sure, Alice?" Carlisle asked.

"We find Caius in there. That's not in doubt." Alice shook her head. "What happens after that, I can't see."

"Why do you think that is?" Edward asked her.

Alice rolled her eyes and sighed. "If I knew that, I could probably see. It might be there are werewolves, it may be Caius hasn't decided, I don't know. I just know that it gets fuzzy and confusing all of a sudden."

We'd all arrived in Boston earlier this afternoon, following Caius; Carlisle and Esme flying in separately from the rest of us. Garrett was still with us, so the seven of us stood in a clump on the sidewalk, keeping our voices low while we discussed our options.

"This could be a trap," said Jasper. "We have no way of knowing what Caius has planned. He may be expecting us."

"We have a lot of strength on our side," Garrett said. "Bella almost single-handedly brought the Volturi down last time."

"Well, I can protect you against Jane, but this firestarter that Renesmee saw in Alaska, I won't have any defense against." I was glad to be able to contribute to the defense of the family. I just wished there was more I could do. I seemed to be the most concerned one in the group. The rest of them seemed so much more matter-of-fact about the upcoming conflict. Jasper must have sensed my distress because a wave of calm and confidence washed over me.

Carlisle stood with his hands on his hips, his eyes down. "Well, we don't have a tracker. I think we should take this chance to see if we can't stop Caius here." He looked up at us, surveying our faces. "Does anyone disagree?"

No one spoke. "Alright then," said Carlisle. "We should stay together. Jasper, Garrett, if the firestarter is here, you should go for her first." They nodded.

Carlisle pressed a few bills into the hands of the bouncer at the door who let us in without comment. The club was dark, noisy and crowded; the music deafeningly loud. I could feel the bass beat throbbing in my diaphragm. The main dance floor was full, the strobe lights suspended from the ceiling licking over the crowd in random patterns.

We started to pick our way through the crowd, searching the faces. I'd gotten used to the smell of humans in small doses, but the massive waves of their scent coming from the dance floor washed over me, making me feel giddy and light-headed. Edward grabbed my hand and held on as we weaved through the crowds at the edges of the dance floor. I chanced a glance at Jasper who seemed unfazed by the smell and the heat of the bodies. He'd come a long in control since my eighteenth birthday. On the other hand, as a newborn, I still struggled with it daily, especially in the midst of the tantalizing smells of strangers. It seemed ironic; I was now the one having troubles in resisting the call of blood.

I caught a glimpse of a white suit and ponytail the same time as the others. On the side of the stage where the DJ was spinning, for the briefest of seconds, I saw Caius and then he disappeared behind the scrim at the back of the stage.

"Let's go," whispered Carlisle, but it was enough for our vampire ears. To the people surrounding us, if they had been watching, it would have seemed like we disappeared, when in fact we started to move so fast, human eyes couldn't track us. To us, it seemed like the crowd froze in place, when we moved this rapidly. It was easy to pick a way between the bodies.

We dashed up the stage, and behind the scrim as Caius had done, passing the few people loitering back stage so quickly, they only perceived a rush of air. Down a twisting hallway we raced, to where an emergency exit door was still opening. Out into the hot sticky night we went, Carlisle leading us.

We ran down an alley and back out to Lansdowne Street, following behind Caius as he took the corner around the ballpark's walls that towered above the street. We turned the corner milliseconds after him, but he was nowhere in sight. The clanging of a metal gate caught our attention. The security gates to the ballpark had been broken open, the chains still swinging. We ran inside after him.

Inside, the large concrete space was dark and cavernous except for a few security lights providing small pools of light. We were in the concessions area under the stadium. The concession stands were all wrapped up tight, their windows covered with metal shutters. The sour smell of garbage and stale humanity saturated the air. The large, wide corridor we were in was easily thirty feet wide and curved gently to the left, following the contours of the park above it. The ramps leading to the seating area around the field were dark and gated, but a brief illumination from a lightning flash showed the sky above the gates.

It appeared deserted; there was no sign of Caius. Listening to the silence, I could make out several faint heartbeats, likely the security guards. There was a scrape of fabric against fabric off to my left, the seven of us swung around to see the source of the noise. Edward hissed under his breath, "It _is _a trap."

Instinctively, the seven of us pulled together, facing outward in a circle. I heard a rumbling growl come from somebody within our circle as I threw my mental shield around my family. I felt its force stretch from me to encompass our group. My nerves felt like piano wire, singing with the tension. Every sense was heightened, every noise seemed amplified.

From down the corridor, three vampires strode into view. I'd seen at least two of their faces before, it had been in the field in Forks when the Volturi came. They'd been part of the Volturi witnesses, but I had never known their names. The third vampire, a dark-skinned man wearing a full length tunic, held an unconscious figure in its arms. He threw the body at our feet.

The figure grunted as it hit the floor, his flesh making a dull slapping sound as it bounced on the concrete. He was alive, but just barely; I could hardly hear the erratic beat of his heart. His long black hair partially concealed his face, but there was no mistaking that he was a Quileute. I had not seen him before on the reservation, but there was that distinctive shape shifter smell. There were bruises and marks all along his face and arms, and judging by his stupor, I guessed he'd been drugged.

From the corridor to our right, two more vampires appeared. Their faces were hard and determined as they strode towards our circle. Again, I recognized them from the field in Forks. Both groups of hostile vampires stopped some distance away from us. They were waiting for something, some signal. Outside, the rain started in earnest and the concrete halls started to echo with the pounding of the rain as it hit the stadium and field above us.

From the darkened hallway in front of us, four other figures materialized, one of them struggling in the grasp of another. My eyes went first to Caius; he came towards us with a half-smile on his face. To his left was another face I had not counted on seeing. I heard gasps from Esme and Alice as they recognized the face, too.

It was Zafrina, the Amazon, dressed in her familiar hides and leathers. She had stood with us in Forks against the Volturi. Why would she stand with Caius now? Her face was bleached with stress. She looked almost apologetic, her face grimacing with distaste as she turned it to the side to avoid our stares.

I checked my mental shield around the seven of us, making sure it had no holes or weak spots. Zafrina had the gift of illusion, she could make victims see whatever she wished. One could be standing in the heart of a city and her illusion could convince that you were in a deep jungle. We had counted her a powerful ally when she had stood with us in Forks for this reason. Zafrina could incapacitate vampires, rendering them helpless. You couldn't fight what you couldn't see.

On the other side of Caius stood a short Asian vampire, his face as set and hard as the others. He held pinned against him a human security guard, who was struggling weakly beneath the arms that bound him like iron cords. The guard was clawing at the arm that crossed his neck, trying to free himself enough room to breathe.

Carlisle spoke. "Caius, it doesn't have to be like this."

"Well, what does it have to be like then, Carlisle? Should we all just wait around until you decide you're tired of hiding in your damp forest and decide to move against us en masse? Going to convert us all to your 'alternative lifestyle'?" Caius spit the words out.

"Caius," Carlisle pleaded. "You know me. You know that would never be my intention. I have no wish to dominate others."

Caius rubbed his temples. "At least be honest, Carlisle. We all wish to dominate others. It is in our make-up, our core. Blood and violence and death. That is what we are. Look, you even rule your own coven."

Edward stepped forward. "We follow Carlisle for reasons other than power or fear. Reasons you couldn't even begin to understand."

Caius rolled his eyes. "Love?" he asked simpering. "A human myth, constructed to put some meaning into their useless lives." Caius stepped forward, his hands clenched. "Underneath it all, Carlisle, you are as violent and brutal as the rest of us. It will only be a matter of time before you realize that."

Edward growled low and deep in his chest, the sound barely audible above the pounding of the rain. "He has some surprise to spring on us," he murmured to Carlisle. "He is too confident." From my left, Jasper murmured in agreement.

"Violent, brutal, that may be my nature," Carlisle answered Caius. "But I am not welded to my nature. I can choose to act above it."

Caius's body whole body tensed. "Why?" he roared at Carlisle. The words echoed back at us from the concrete ceiling and walls. "Why? Why do you try? This is what we are! Accept it!"

"I accept it," Carlisle said softly. "But I am not ruled by it."

Caius' face was a study in contempt. "If you weren't so incomprehensible, you'd be pathetic."

Carlisle turned to Zafrina, who had her eyes on the floor. "Zafrina?" he asked.

She turned her eyes to him, the sadness in them overwhelming her face. "He holds Senna," she whispered. Senna was her sister; I guessed that Caius was using Senna to coerce her into helping him. "I am so sorry. I'll make sure they don't let you suffer."

Her words electrified me. The moment of confrontation was upon us, we all could feel it. I checked my shield once more, knowing the lives of my family depended on my ability to keep them protected with my mental gift. Beside me, I felt Edward on my right and Jasper on my left start to curl into a defensive crouch.

Caius grabbed the struggling guard from the vampire to his right and with a single move, drew the guard's sidearm from his belt as he kicked the guard toward me. I heard Edward yell "No!" but he was too late. Caius shot the guard through the back, as the guard stumbled towards my stunned and open arms. The bullet passed completely through the man's body and bounced harmlessly off me.

It took me a second to realize I had been spattered with gore from the guard. The guard slowly slid out of my open arms to slump on the floor, but not before his bleeding wound smeared my shirt and hands with blood.

There it was, before I had the presence of mind to stop breathing. That aroma, that incredible, heady, intoxicating aroma. It was the fragrance that spoke of life and completion, joy and ecstasy. Why had I ever thought this was repugnant when I was human? It was metallic and organic, thick as concrete and ethereal as a cloud. The smell slammed into me, driving all other thoughts from my brain. Some small part of me registered the fact that my shield snapped back into place around me, leaving the others unprotected.

Without conscious volition, my tongue slipped between my lips and tasted the drop of blood that had spattered there. It was just the smallest taste, but it was enough to set the thirst raging in me like never before. There was no way I could say no to this. My whole body burned as rivers of fire ran through me to concentrate in my throat. It was a pain I had only felt once before and that had been on the surgical table at Forks. It had been the unbearable pain of my transformation from human to vampire.

But now there was an answer, a balm and a cure for that pain. I raised my hands in front of my face to see the red rivulets of blood on my fingers. I brought them to my nose and inhaled deeply. _Oh, that perfume_. It was rain to the desert, food to the starving, cessation of pain to the tortured.

I licked the blood smeared across my palm, my eyes closed with the ecstasy of it. It was a taste of manna, food from the heavens. It promised to feed me in ways that I had not even known I hungered. It sang to me of cravings fulfilled, of longings soothed. I stared at the man dying at my feet, the blood leaking from him onto the grimy concrete floor. _What a hideous waste. That should be mine_.

Farr off in the distance, as if they were underwater, I could hear the cries of my unprotected family as the darkness that Zafrina directed descended on them. I heard my name in their clamor, but it was meaningless to me. Jasper on my left, struck my arm once, his arms swinging widely as his unseeing eyes gazed blindly about him. Esme and Carlisle had found one each other and they clung to each other, their free arms held defensively, trying to protect themselves from any unseen attackers. Alice stood straight, her eyebrows furrowed with concentration, trying to use her future vision to see any assailant. I couldn't tell if the Quileute not far from her feet was hindering her efforts. Someone nearby was yelling my name but it fell on my ears with no effect.

I barely registered the fact that Caius' vampires started approaching our group. Through the dream haze caused by the bloodlust, nothing mattered but the source of the crimson flow from the body at my feet. I could feel my emotions wavering from calm to fear. Jasper was trying to reach me, but it was useless. My focus was the blood and only the blood. I started to reach down to bring the body up to my mouth before any more of the precious fluid spilled uselessly on the floor.

A hand clasped my arm. My gaze followed the hand up its arm to the face above it. There was such a feeling of detachment, I knew that was Edward's face, but my vision was filled with the images of the blood. My nose was filled with the aroma of it, my mouth was filled with venom at the image of the feast that was approaching and my skin tingled underneath the streaks of blood on my hands.

He chose the only sense the blood had not reached. I hesitated when I heard something familiar, trying to recognize the muted, beautiful sound. It was tickling at my brain, breaking my concentration. I shook my head, trying to clear it but it continued. It was a melody, haunting and poignant. It reached me when all the shouting of my name could not.

It was the lullaby that Edward had written for me. Somehow, it reached through the bloodlust that held me spellbound and gave me a corner to think, to remember where I was. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the notes.

Caius made his tactical mistake then. He came toward me to attack and kicked the body of the bleeding guard out of the way. My eyes flew open and instinctively, I moved to protect my meal. I snarled and flew at him. He stepped back, surprised by the ferocity of my counterattack. I snapped my shield back into place around the seven of us and suddenly the air was full of moving bodies as my family regained their vision and reacted to the enemies now within reach.

I clasped my hands together and using them as a club, I swung them up under Caius's chin. His feet left the ground as he flew in an arc backwards. He sprang back up, bouncing off the concrete floor like it was a trampoline and came toward me, his face twisted into a terrible scowl.

Edward stepped between us and pushed me behind him. I fell to my knees, overcome with the battle going on inside my head. The bloodlust was beating against my will to keep my mental shield in place. I held onto the will to keep the shield taut and secure, but it left me no resources to think of anything else, other than the thirst.

I closed my eyes and started to chant to myself-anything to hold the bloodlust at bay for just one more minute at a time. _Hold the shield, then you'll drink._ _Hold the shield, then you'll drink. _

I felt my family members moving around, and I wrapped my shield tightly around each individual. _Hold the shield, then you'll drink. _I didn't know how the fight was progressing, I couldn't spare a bit of my attention to check. It was all I could do to just hold the two parts of me together- the part that knew I had to keep my shield in place for my family and the part that demanded the thirst be satisfied immediately.

I could smell the bleeding body of the guard; it was ten feet off to my left. The bloodlust demanded that I go after it and I had no choice but to comply. I started to crawl on my belly along the sticky, smelly concrete floor. _Hold the shield, then you'll drink._ Somebody tripped over my body and landed with a thud beside me, then they scrabbled away. I heard screams and that awful shrieking metallic noise. I prayed that it was our enemies and not my family, but I couldn't risk opening my eyes, every ounce of concentration I had I needed. _Hold the shield, then you'll drink. _I was almost at the body. I knew I would lose my ability to maintain the shield once I had the body in my hands, but I was helpless to stop myself from reaching for it.

Somebody dragged me away from the body. _No, that was mine_. Keeping my eyes shut, I felt hands tearing at my shirt and I started to strike out at them. Cold hard hands grabbed my wrists while unintelligible voices yelled above me. My shirt was ripped from my body and more hands pried my fists open. I didn't know what was happening, and I dared not open my eyes. If I lost my concentration, I could lose my family. I could only pray that they could handle the hand-to-hand contact while I kept them protected from any mental assault.

I was picked up off the floor and thrashing, I was carried away from the aroma of blood. I couldn't fight too hard physically, lest I lose my focus on my shield. There was a metal clanging as gates were being broken and I gasped as cold rain hit my body. I was carried out on to the playing field, blindly twisting and fighting the iron arms that held me.

I broke loose from the grips that held me and slumped to my knees on the cold wet grass. We were in left field, the ballpark was dark and deserted around us. The rain was soaking my hair and pelting my shoulders. Gradually, the smell of blood started to clear from my nose and I began to think. My shield had been wrapped around each individual family member, two of them stood with me on the field. Several others remained under the stands and as I became aware of them, two others were reaching the limits of my mental range.

"Stop them, they're going too far," I moaned, my hands clutching at the dirt and grass.

Hands grabbed my shoulders. "Bella," the voice I loved called to me. "Bella, its okay. You can stop now."

I raised my head. Edward crouched in front of me, his face full of concern. Alice knelt next to him, her face a mirror of his. Rain dripped through their hair and their clothes clung wetly.

"What happened?" I asked.

Alice and Edward exchanged a glance full of relief. "We beat them," Edward said. "Once your shield came back, we destroyed Caius. Esme and Carlisle are cleaning up now." Back through the gates, I could see the warm glow of flames bouncing off the interior walls. "Two others, also." Edward explained. "Jasper and Garrett are chasing down a couple others."

"Zafrina?" I asked.

"She ran," Alice answered. "Carlisle said to let her go."

I picked up my hands and looked at them. They were streaked with dirt and mud now, instead of blood. I remembered how the blood had tasted on my lips. The memory of that would stay with me the rest of my existence. My chest started heaving with dry sobs. My throat started burning again. "The blood," I whimpered. I still ached for it.

"I don't know how you did it, Bella but you fought the bloodlust," Edward said.

"That's incredible for a newborn," Alice chirped.

I knew they were trying to praise me, to raise my spirits, but I was too broken to take their words to heart. "It was the lullaby," I whispered.

Edward and Alice exchanged a glance. "What lullaby was that?" Edward asked, smiling.

I looked at him in surprise. "You were singing or humming my lullaby. The one you wrote for me. It's what gave me the…" I trailed off.

He shook his head. "I don't think so." He still smiled but his eyes flashed with concern again.

The two of us stared at each other, the rain dripping off our noses.

"Edward," Alice prompted him, "give her your shirt."

I looked down at myself. Above my jeans, I was wearing only my bra. "What happened to my shirt?" I asked confused, as Edward unbuttoned his oxford and helped me into it. It was wet and soggy.

"It had blood on it." Alice explained.

I rolled the shirtsleeves up. "Where was Jane?" I asked. It was odd that I hadn't had to fend off her mental spears of pain.

Edward and Alice froze. My throat closed as I realized what their stillness meant. Jane hadn't been here.

"Alice?" I asked.

Alice's eyes stared into the distance. "She's traveling west."

"And then what?" Edward demanded.

"She disappears," Alice whispered.

That could only mean she was headed into Forks.

*************************************************************

A/N- I know, I know-Cliffie. Promise to update soon. Meantime, show me some love (or hate,or whatever)! Leave a review!


	22. Chapter 22 Flight

**Renesmee**

Seth Clearwater picked me and Jacob up at the Portland airport; Emmett and Rosalie would follow in a day or so once they'd gotten the island house closed up. It was good to see Seth. He'd always been one of my favorites of Jacob's friends.

Jacob whistled approvingly as Seth walked over to a Honda and unlocked the doors. "Where'd you get the ride?" Jacob asked as he dumped our duffle bags in the back seat.

"Leah let me borrow it," Seth explained as he climbed behind the wheel.

"She's back in La Push?" asked Jacob as he clambered into the back seat.

Seth turned the key and started the car. He looked in the rearview mirror to catch Jacob's eyes. "Yes," he answered in a flat voice. The two of them stared at each other for a moment. Seth was upset about something, that was obvious. His usual cheerful personality was muted.

He pulled out of the parking space. "She's not part of the pack anymore." He glanced at the rear view mirror again. "Any pack. Neither are Solomon Hatch or Del Cleveland and any of those guys they hung with."

"You mean Jimmy and Evan?"

"Perry Bond and his brother, too."

Jacob sat back in his seat as he digested that. "How'd that happen?" he finally asked.

Seth shifted uncomfortably. "Maybe we could talk about this later." He glanced at me. "I'm sorry, Nessie, I don't mean to exclude you, but it's just kind of a pack thing."

"Oh, of course, Seth. You don't have to apologize. I understand completely." I guessed that there would be repercussions against the wolves that had been part of the attack in Alaska. I wondered what this meant for Leah.

"Thanks," he said, flashing me a smile. There, now he looked more like the Seth I knew.

"So, how was the tropical isle?"

"Seth," Jacob waxed. "You should have seen the beaches. Incredible. You wouldn't believe the sand there."

They talked about the island for a while, while I listened with just a part of my mind. Leah weighed on my mind. She'd been a part of the group that destroyed Tanya and Kate, and yet she had helped Jacob that same night. Did she hate vampires so much she had been willing to kill them indiscriminately? Were there other members of the wolf pack who felt the same way?

"So, what's been going on around town?" Jacob asked, yawning and stretching his arms. It had been a long day of plane travel.

"It's been pretty quiet until this afternoon. We picked up the scent of two vampires coming from the south." Seth turned to me. "Is your family expecting anybody?"

"I don't think so," I answered. "They've all followed some enemies to the east." I turned to Jacob. "I bet it's Carmen and Eleazar back from South America."

"Keep an eye on them and let's see where they head," Jacob suggested to Seth.

"Sam's got it covered," Seth assured him.

We pulled into the driveway of the family home, all of the windows uncharacteristically dark. The forest was dark and quiet around us as Jacob and I got out of the car. We thanked Seth for the ride as Jacob grabbed our bags. I stood looking at the house, my heart swelling, as the headlights of Seth's car wound their way back down the driveway. I heard the phone ringing from the inside of the house, but I was in no mood to rush in to answer it and it soon stopped. It should have reminded me that I hadn't turned my cell phone back on, since turning it off for the plane flights.

The light from the waxing moon glinted off the house and the meadow beside it. For once, the sky was clear enough and the moonlight strong enough to cause the trees that stood beside the house to cast deep shadows beneath them. There was just a hint of coolness in the air, announcing fall's coming arrival. The wind snaked its way through the trees so that the leaves rustled together, like sisters telling secrets. I took a deep breath of the cool, pine-smelling air. No other place on earth had this rich fragrance.

Jacob put his arm around my shoulders. "Feel good to be home?" he murmured into my hair.

"You know it," I murmured back. It felt incredibly good to be here, safe and secure. I was surprised at the intensity of my feelings. I could feel the tears start to collect in my eyes. I turned to him and threw my arms around Jacob's chest. His hard, hot body was as much a comfort as the return to my birthplace. Even if they weren't here, I could feel the love of my parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles surround me like a blanket.

"You'll stay with me tonight?" It would be at least tomorrow before any others of my family showed and I didn't want to be alone tonight.

"Of course." He kissed the top of my head. "Here or the cottage?"

"The cottage." Definitely. That was where I felt most secure.

Jacob picked up our bags and together we headed across the meadow to the cottage that was my home. The meadow and trees smelled so green, clean and pure, it was the smell of my childhood.

"I hope there's some food in the house," I said as we entered the tree line to walk the path to the cottage. The forest floor was dappled charmingly with moonlight. "I'm starving."

"Well, we can raid the big house if we need to," Jacob said to me over his shoulder, leading us down the narrow path as it wound its way through the trees. "Esme always keeps things pretty well stocked. Or we could hunt, if you'd prefer?"

"I don't have enough energy to go chasing anything down," I said, yawning. "I'd prefer something that isn't going to run away from me. I could really go for some pancakes. Maybe chocolate chip pancakes with—"

I came up against Jacob's back, who had stopped suddenly in the middle of the path. "Hey," I started saying, when a quick motion of his hand made me stop.

He stood still listening to the night sounds around us. The leaves whispered to the wind above us and there were sounds of small animals as they rustled through the dead leaves on the forest floor. He lifted his face to the wind and tasted the air.

"Come on," he said, pulling me in front of him. "Let's get to the cottage." His mood had changed abruptly.

"What is it?"

"Probably nothing," he said, reassuringly and placed his hand on my shoulder, steering me down the path.

"Chocolate chip pancakes," I muttered. "With syrup and bacon." My stomach growled at the thought of food.

We were nearing the door of the cottage when I heard my name.

Someone was roaring my name, the sound was inhumanly loud. It was coming from the family house we had just left. Jacob and I froze in our places.

"Renesmee! I know you're here. Come out, come out, wherever you are!" There was no mistaking that taunting tone, too loud for a human throat to produce. I knew that voice, it had inhabited my nightmares. Who else could it be but Jane?

Terror immobilized me on the spot. Panic filled my mind, I wanted to find a dark corner to crawl into. I ran into Jacob's arms, who reflexively threw them around me.

"Come on, Renesmee! Where are you? Got your pet with you, do you?"

I looked wide-eyed at Jacob. My knees literally started shaking, while my stomach convulsed with fear. My lungs started to burn and I suddenly gasped, I'd forgotten to breathe.

Jacob grabbed my arms. "I am going to phase," he said softly yet urgently. "Then we're going to run. The wolf pack will be here soon." He stepped away from me.

In my panic, all that registered was that Jacob took a step away. I lunged at him. "No, Jacob, don't leave me!"

I could hear two sets of footfalls coming through the forest. My hands started to shake with the fear racing through my system. Jacob grabbed me again. "I'm not leaving you. We're going to run together, ready?"

I looked up at his eyes, which were burning with his need to make me understand. I took a breath and nodded.

Jacob took three steps away from me and his clothing burst from his form. With a shake, he was in his massive wolf form. He took two steps and looked back at me. It was time to start running.

We took off north through the trees, Jacob galloping ahead of me. My shaking stopped as all my energy and adrenaline were being used to propel me through the forest as fast as I could go. I concentrated on Jacob's haunches and tail in front of me as he led me through the trees at high speed, picking our way infallibly. The forest, which had seemed so innocent and pure just moments ago, now seemed fierce and threatening. The twisted branches seemed to reach out to catch me and slow me as we bolted through the underbrush. In the oppressive darkness, I concentrated on Jacob's tail weaving in front of me as we dodged through the trees. I ran as fast as I had ever run, but it wasn't fast enough. The chase behind me was getting closer. I could hear someone crashing through the bushes behind me and terror spurred me on, but the sounds were still getting nearer.

We broke into a clearing when I felt the searing, stabbing pain. It hit me in mid-stride and I immediately curled into myself, rolling across the grass and dirt. It was like no pain I had ever felt before. A tidal wave of agony hit me from my head to my toes, and my whole body clenched with the anguish of it. I hadn't known so much pain existed in the world. I was drowning in it; an ocean of torture surrounded me. I screamed over and over as the pain refused to subside. I felt Jacob come stand over me, his growling deep and harsh. My heart started to break, we had never really had the chance to be together and now it was all going to be over.

Suddenly, as swiftly as it had come, the pain was gone. Instead, the air was filled with yelping and whining. I raised my head. Jacob was beside me, scratching at the dirt, his head rolling wildly while he whined. _No, not Jacob. Not that pain_.

Around the clearing, at least a dozen of the wolf pack had arrived, but they were in the same condition as Jacob. They all were groveling in the dirt, their pitiful high-pitched whelps terrible to hear. They scratched at the ground, rolling and yelping with the pain that Jane now lashed at them. Their shrieks sounded like puppies being trampled, their cries were heartbreaking.

The wolf pack was too interconnected; they shared a mind in wolf form. Jane hit one wolf with her pain and they all felt it. The torture endured by one wolf reverberated among all of their linked minds. But she could only send her pain to one mind at a time. When the wolf pack threatened her, she must have had to let me go.

I stared in horror as Jane came closer. She nodded toward Jacob. "Him first."

I turned to look at who Jane was speaking to and my heart fell as I recognized the petite Asian woman. With dread, I recognized her process as her hair started to stir. It was the firestarter. With the wolves pinned down by the pain, she could leisurely destroy them all, one by one. And she was going to start with Jacob.

The air in front of her started to roil. "No!" I cried as I sprang from Jacob's side and hit her with a body block. The fireball she had started spun away in a high arc over us and hit the top of a pine tree which burst into flames.

I kept on going and closed the distance to Jane. As I came running toward her, I saw her face change from pure anger to something resembling fear. I was a step away from her when the blinding, scorching pain returned. I fell at her feet, screaming again. This time though I grabbed her ankle. This bitch was going to pay.

The pain squeezed me in its iron grasp but now I was channeling it. It didn't lessen the pain, but this time, with my hands wrapped around her ankle, I shared it with Jane. All the anguish and agony I was feeling, I poured into her. My whole body clenched with the searing and burning that consumed me but it only made my hands clench around Jane harder. As long as I was feeling the pain, I knew the wolves would be free of it.

Jane and I were screaming in unison. Above that, I could hear the wolves snarling and growling. Jane fell to the dirt, but I held onto her ankle. I couldn't let it go- my hands were locked around it. The shared pain bound us together as it bounced back and forth between us, unstopping. I heard the wolves around us, and felt their furry bodies brushing against mine. I tucked my head out of the way between my outstretched arms, my voice getting hoarse with screaming which I couldn't stop.

The wolves were biting and tearing at Jane's body as if in some kind of canine feeding frenzy. Yet not once did I feel teeth brush against me or paws touch my skin. Abruptly the pain stopped and I gasped with the first full lungful of air I could finally make. The screaming had stopped as well, only the sound of the wolves tearing at hard flesh continued. The world started to spin wildly as I felt hot hands pulling my clenched fingers away from the ankle I clutched. I was rolled gently to my back and I saw Jacob's face spinning above me before the whole world faded to black.

*****************************************

You know the drill-please review!


	23. Chapter 23 Another Chase

I am grateful to so many people, the great group of betas at PTB, and especially to JMeyer, Pamela0201 and Hellacullen. Also to the gang at TLYDF for their press, thank you! Mostly though to the great group of people whose reviews have encouraged me to Update Soon! and told me they were enjoying the story and made me try to produce the best story I could. To all of you, my heartfelt thanks. We're very near the end, my lovelies. This chapter is dedicated to all of you.

**Renesmee**

The morning light was bouncing off the reflecting pool next to my window and creating rainbows refracted across my ceiling. I was in my own bed and it felt snug and warm.

Then I remembered what had happened last night and I sat up with a jolt.

Rising from the easy chair in the corner, Jacob came over to sit on my bed. He took my hands into his own large, brown ones. He brought them to his face to kiss them. "How do you feel?" he asked.

"What happened? Is Jane..?"

He smiled. "The pack took care of her and her fire starting friend. They're dead, Nessie. They won't be back."

Relief flooded my body. I jumped to my knees and wrapped my arms around Jacob's neck. I pushed my lips onto his, giddy with the release from the cloud of fear I'd been living under.

Jacob got over his surprise at my assault and wrapped his long beautiful arms around me. Our kiss was long and deep and I was losing myself in the sensations when I had to gasp for breath. Jacob pulled back from me, smiling. "So, I take it you feel okay?"

"I feel wonderful." I threw back my head and laughed. I pushed him to his back on the bed and threw my leg over his to kiss him again.

"Oh, you're awake," I heard a voice from the door. Seth turned the corner and saw us on the bed. "Oops. Ah, sorry. Maybe I'll come back—"

"No, Seth come on in," I called. I reluctantly pried myself off Jacob and sat up, keeping Jacob's hand in mine.

Seth came around the corner again, wearing a grin that could only be described as shit-eating. "Nessie, nice going last night."

I looked at Jacob, who was grinning and nodding. "Nice going?" I didn't understand.

Sam and Embry edged into the room behind Seth. Sam spoke up. "If it wasn't for you, we'd all be ashes."

Confused, I looked at all their faces. Seth explained, "I don't know how you brought yourself to grab hold of her, Nessie. That one blast of pain we got was enough to last for a lifetime."

Jacob held my hand in both of his, my small hand disappearing in his large ones. "When you grabbed Jane, she released us. Otherwise, her fire friend there would have just done away with us at her leisure."

"You saved us," Embry chirped.

"We just wanted to stick around to say thank you," Sam said, edging back towards the door. "It was good teamwork."

I felt like my face was going to crack I was smiling so hard. Jacob was nodding at me and grinning widely.

Sam paused by the door as he was leaving. "Jacob, you should bring Renesmee to the Labor Day Picnic. It's going to rain but then…"

"—It always does," the other three finished his sentence and laughed at an obvious inside joke. Sam and Embry left, chuckling.

"Really," Seth said. "You must come. You'll be very welcomed."

"Thank you, Seth." I whispered, touched by this outpouring of support. "I'd love to."

"Okay, then. Bye." Seth gestured toward the bed. "Guess you two can get back to whatever it was you were doing." He didn't move from where he was standing.

"Good-bye Seth," said Jacob, raising an eyebrow.

"See ya later." His eyes twinkled and he was out the door.

I looked at Jacob in wonder. "That was so nice of them."

"You're a hero, Nessie."

I shook my head. I didn't think this is how heroes felt. My stomach rumbled loudly. "I wonder if there's any food in the house."

Jacob stood up and helped me off the bed. "Let's go check. We should probably get ready, your parents called to say they'll be here in an hour."

My stomach lurched. "An hour?"

Jacob laughed at my expression. "Come on," he said, putting an arm around my shoulders and leading me out of the bedroom. "If you can face down Jane, your mother and father ought to be a piece of cake."

An hour later we were back in the main house. Jacob was sprawled on the sofa while I was pacing, checking the windows every few laps. Finally, I heard the crunch of wheels on gravel and I saw Carlisle's car come down the drive.

I went out to the porch, Jacob following behind me. My apprehension left me when I saw my family climbing out of the car. I ran down the steps and flew into my mother's arms. We cried each other's names at the same time and it was so good to be in her arms after all the trauma of the last few weeks. Dad came up behind me and as soon as Mom let me go he scooped me up to give me a huge hug. He set me down saying, "Oh, I've missed you."

"Oh, I've missed you too." It was great to see him. So much had happened since we had last been together here at home.

Why is it that as soon as you try tonotthink of something, it becomes the only thing you can think about? Edward had his hands on my shoulders, and suddenly he got very still. I jumped when he threw back his head and yelled, "Jacob!"

On the porch, Jacob's eyes got very wide and he started edging backwards to the screen door. "Come on, Edward," he said, trying to placate my father, "you had to know this was going to happen."

My father released my shoulders and started striding toward the porch, growls rumbling from his chest.

"Don't hurt him, Edward!" my mother yelled sharply.

"I don't care," Dad answered to some mental retort of Jacob's, climbing the porch stairs.

Jacob turned and fled through the screen door and Dad dashed after him. "It doesn't matter!" Edward roared from inside the house.

"Don't worry, honey." Alice came and put her arms around my shoulders. "They'll work it out."

"I thought you couldn't see Jacob's future?" I asked her.

"I don't need to for this." She squeezed my shoulders.

From the back of the house, Jacob's wolf form came tearing around the corner. His ears were laid back on his head and his body was close to the ground as he took the corner, running furiously.

Dad was not far behind him. "I don't think so!" he yelled at Jacob as the two of them raced past us and into the forest on the far side of the house.

Grandma Esme came up to me and we exchanged hugs. "Are they fighting about what I think they're fighting about?" she asked.

"Probably," I said, hanging my head.

Carlisle kissed my cheek. "It's good to see you, Nessie. It looks like somebody did some growing up while we were busy."

Jasper gave me a hug. "Don't worry. They're not really aiming to hurt each other."

Just then, some snarling and whimpering came from the forest into which they had disappeared. Dad's voice yelled a very uncharacteristic swear word.

Jasper put his hands on his hips and frowned. "Well, not much, anyway."

Mom put her arm around me while the rest of the family grabbed their bags from the car and headed indoors. "Would you like to share with me what your father is so angry about?" she said, her eyebrows arching.

I put my hand to her face and showed her some edited scenes of our time on Isle Esme. "I can't leave him," I told her. "I won't leave him."

She dropped her arm and leaned back against the car. "Well, I can see why your father is upset." She looked up at me. "He could move east with us."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, come on. We'd take him away from everything he loves-his family, his tribe, his home? Billy depends on him, the pack depends on him."

"Renesmee," she said, her face so terribly sad, my heart felt like it was going to break. "We can't stay here any longer. Your grandfather had a meeting with Sam and the others. Our presence here is only creating problems in the wolf pack. It's time we were gone."

We stared at each other stymied. "Mom, you must have felt this way about Dad at some point, didn't you? Would you have left him then?"

"No." She smiled ruefully. "I still can't bear to be away from him."

"Then you know," I whispered.

"I don't want to lose my little girl."

"You're not losing me. Why do you have to go all the way to the East Coast? What about Vancouver? Or Boise?

She looked up at me. "San Francisco seemed really nice."

"I hear it's often foggy there."

She grabbed me and the two of us wrapped our arms around each other. "This is really what you want?"

"It's what I need."

She put her arm around my shoulders and we started toward the house. "Where will you live?"

"I was thinking maybe Charlie and Sue would let me live with them for a while."

"Hmm," she said. "I hope Sue is a lighter sleeper than Charlie was."

From the direction of the cottage, Edward and Jacob materialized out of the forest. Jacob, dressed in just sweat pants, had his head titled back and was pinching the bridge of his nose, but blood had already gushed down his chin. Edward was cradling one arm in his other.

"I thing he boke my nose," Jacob complained.

"He bit me!" Dad retorted.

"You taste tewwible."

"I certainly hope so."

"Well, come inside," Mom said. "Carlisle should have a look at you." She grabbed Jacob's elbow to help him up the steps.

My father stopped by me, holding his arm. "Renesmee…" he trailed off, his eyes searching mine.

_I love you, Daddy, you know that. But I love him, too._

"I just never thought we'd be facing this so soon." He pulled me into a hug with his undamaged arm.

_I didn't choose it, Daddy it just happened._

"Well, this is you choice, correct? He's not forcing himself on you, is he?"

I worked very hard on keeping the thought away from my mind that it was more likely me forcing myself on him. _No, this is what I want._ .

He sighed. "Well, we can talk about it tonight." He put his arm around my shoulders and together we climbed the steps to the house.

All right, we would talk about it. I knew Bella was on my side and the two of us together would win our way with him. He'd come around, that was for sure. It was only a matter of time.

It was inevitable that Jacob and I would be together. Inevitable as it had been for Mom and Dad Sometimes you choose love and sometimes it chooses you.

************

Please review! don't forget that! Thank you all!

One more note: Jess Meyer interviewed me for an author interview on The Lazy Yet Discerning Ficser. It will be published 7/13 Monday, please check it out!

www(dot)discerningficster(dot)blogspot(dot)com


	24. Chapter 24 Wedding

**I'd like to thank all the people at The Lazy Yet Discerning Ficster for their recommnedations, most ecspecially Jess Meyer. You all are awesome. To Project Team Beta, who helped with a lot of this story, another stunning group of people. And special thanks to JMeyer, hellecullen and Pamela 0201, who were fantastic!**

**Renesmee**

It was a beautiful day for a wedding. A cloudless sunny day in Forks which is nearly a miracle. We were dressing at Charlie's house, the guys had gone over to Billy's house to get ready. The limo was waiting outside to take us the church, but Sue was fussing over the hem on Leah's dress.

"Leave it already, Ma," Leah complained. "It'll be fine."

Sue stood up and took at step back to examine her quick repair. "Yes, it'll have to do."

She turned to me. "What shoes did you find?"

I stuck my foot out. We'd already had one disaster; as I had come down the staircase, my foot had slipped and the heel on my shoe had broken off. The high-heeled sandals I had stashed in the closet of my room would have to do.

"Looks fine. Nobody will even notice," Sue assured me as she finally came to a stop. "Are you nervous? I'm nervous. I can't believe I'm nervous."

Leah and I looked at each other and exchanged a tentative smile. Sue had been hyper like this for the last three days but trying to put a wedding together in three months had been a challenge, even for her.

"I'm not nervous," I chirped.

"Me, neither," Leah said.

Sue looked sternly at both of us over her glasses. Then her face softened. "You girls look so beautiful."

"You do, too, Mom," Leah agreed.

Sue was dressed in an elegantly tailored ivory suit that had a lace overlay on the bodice. Her hair was done up in a chignon with baby's breath.

"You think the ivory is okay, right? It's not like I'm a virgin bride," Sue said, turning to the mirror on the dresser behind her. She moved back and forth, inspecting her reflection.

"Charlie will love it," I assured her.

"Come on, we should get going, already," Leah said, grabbing the bouquets off the bed.

She handed the simplest one to Sue, who swept out the door, saying "I wonder if the cake is going to make it to the council house okay…"

Leah handed me my bouquet of daises and ferns. "Here you go."

Our fingers accidentally brushed as I grasped the bouquet. "Oh, sorry," I murmured.

Leah and I were not what I'd call good friends. I don't know if I would ever be able to forgive the part she had played in the loss of so many of my parents' kind. An informal truce between us had been declared for the sake of this wedding but I was glad she'd moved to Clallam Bay where I didn't run into her often. With any kind of advanced warning, I usually managed to be out of the house when she came to visit her mother.

"No," Leah said, looking at me intently, "I'm sorry."

Surprised, I looked at her face, where her sincere gaze met my eyes. Suddenly, I got the impression she was talking about more than our accidental brush of fingers. We both stared at each other for a moment, history replaying in our heads.

Leah's eyes shifted to the floor and she opened her mouth to speak, when Sue's voice came up the stairs. "Am I the only one going to this wedding? Let's go!"

Our eyes met again, and she opened her mouth as if to speak again, before thinking better of it and turning away. I followed down the stairs, wondering what it was she had been going to say.

Walking down the aisle of the church, my hands clasped around the bouquet I was holding, it was easy to see which was the groom's side and which was the bride's side. Sue's side was packed with Quileutes, relatives and her friends from the office where she worked.

Charlie's side held a handful of the guys from the station and his two elderly aunts who had come up from Tacoma. Mom and Dad were there, of course, looking impossibly beautiful and young. Next to the crowd of normal humans, the pale perfection and flawlessness of their features was almost startling. It was hard to believe they passed among humans; they looked as out of place as supermodels in a buffet line. Their stunning good looks created an air of untouchability around them, and I saw Charlie's Aunt Lucille stealing glimpses of my parents, incredulity written on her face.

Up at the altar, Charlie was standing with his hands clasped awkwardly in front of him. I'm sure he was wishing this was all over, but I could see the change in his face when he caught sight of Sue as she started down the aisle on Seth's arm. It was obvious that suddenly the only thing he could see was Sue as she walked behind me and Leah in time with the wedding march.

Next to Charlie was Billy in his chair, looking spiffy in a suit and tie. To his right stood Jacob, towering over the other two. He'd sprung for a suit for the occasion as well and he was breathtaking as he stood with his hands clasped in front of him. With his hair held back in a neat ponytail, the white collar of his shirt played up how warm and brown his skin was. He met my eyes and smiled.

I felt a tingle down my spine but I kept my composure as I walked into my position at the altar, followed by Leah and Sue. Seth kissed Sue's cheek and moved to the front pew, where Sue's sisters and their families sat. The reverend raised his hands and began the evocation.

All through the ceremony, I couldn't keep my eyes off Jacob and we spent most of the time gazing at each other and grinning. I couldn't help thinking about how much I loved him and how blessed I was to have him in my life. I couldn't watch him without melting inside.

Raising his hands over Charlie and Sue, the reverend said the words, "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Charlie leaned over to Sue for a quick chaste kiss, but she had different ideas. She grabbed him around the neck and planted a big one on him. His hands opened with surprise, but then he wrapped his arms around her and even leaned her back a bit with the intensity of his kiss. The church broke into applause and hoots. He set her back on her feet and Sue grabbed her bouquet from Leah. Charlie was grinning widely and blushing furiously as he took Sue's arm and they headed down the aisle to the general approval of the congregation.

The reception line passed in a blur. We filed out only to file back in at the insistence of the photographer, so the crowd was standing in groups out on the church lawn when we were finally released. Jacob and Seth were carrying Billy's chair down the steps when I spotted Dad and Mom standing off by themselves, in the shade of a huge vine maple. They each held a hat in their hands, a minor concession to the brightness of the day.

I trotted over to them and we exchanged hugs and kisses. We had spent all yesterday together with Charlie and Sue, as my parents would not attend the reception held at the Quileute Akalat center.

"Are you sure you won't come?" I pleaded. "It's really going to be more like a huge picnic than a reception. I'm sure Sam won't mind."

"No," Bella said. "It really is best this way. Besides, we'll all be together soon. You're coming to San Francisco in just two weeks."

The rest of my family was living in San Francisco now. Jacob and I went down to see them at least once a month. Even though my life was full with friends, school and Jacob, I missed them all terribly.

They were busy traveling quite a bit. With the disintegration of the Volturi, it became evident that some kind of order was needed within the vampire world. They had attended a convocation in Paris last month along with as many covens as they could contact and it had been decided that the policing duties that the Volturi had handled would be decentralized. Among others, Siobhan and the Irish would handle Europe, Benjamin and Tia would take Africa and the Cullens would handle North and Central America. Already Emmett, Alice and Jasper had gone to Costa Rica to prevent a 'situation' from happening. Each coven could call any of the others if assistance was needed, so together they formed a loose protective net.

"Doesn't Sue look beautiful?" I asked Mom, who was watching Charlie and Sue talking with Sue's friends across the lawn.

"I've never seen Charlie so happy," she said wistfully. Dad put his arm around her shoulder. "And you?" she asked as she brushed a tendril of hair from my face. "Are you happy?"

"Yes, Mom, so happy," I told her. A look of intense sadness crossed her face. "Oh, Mom. Please don't be sad."

"You know we love you more than words can say."

"If you need anything at all, call us," my father said.

I wrapped my arms around the both of them and showed them my memory of my fifth birthday. Just the three of us had gone camping by the Grand Canyon. "I love you," I whispered.

"Love you too" and "I will always love you," they whispered back.

I released them and Dad started to pull my mother toward the church. "Two weeks," she promised. "We'll see you in two weeks." They both donned the brimmed hats they held.

I nodded. "Two weeks," my voice echoed in response.

I watched as they crossed the lawn and said their goodbyes to Charlie and Sue. They headed for their car and Edward put his arm around Bella's shoulders as she snaked her arm around his waist. Watching their backs, I saw the wind lightly stir wisps of Bella's hair. Other than that, they seemed untouched by the world around them. Like angels, they were beautiful, aloof and other-worldly. The love they felt for each other surrounded them like a gossamer bubble. They walked in their own private world, a world that was complete as long as the other was in it. Two beautiful immortals, sharing a love as immortal as they were.

Embry Call's five-year-old niece, Karina, came running up to me, all bouncy in her frilly dress and pigtails. She stopped in front of me, her eyes wide. "Nessie, you're coming to the party, right?"

I squatted down in front of her. "I wouldn't miss it for the world." I grinned back at her as a smile crossed her face.

"Will you show us a story?" she asked excitedly.

"You betcha," I said, as I reached out to lightly tickle her ribs.

She laughed and ran away to report our conversation to the group of young girls standing on the sidewalk.

Jacob came up and put his arm around me. "They look happy, don't they?" he asked, motioning with his chin towards Charlie and Sue, who were laughing and talking with Billy, Seth and Brady.

"Yes," I said, wrapping my arms around his waist. "But you look absolutely stunning."

He bent down to brush his lips against mine. "Not as good as you," he said in my ear. A shiver ran down my spine.

"Hey Jacob!" Brady came trotting over to us from across the lawn. He came to stand in front of us, his hands on his hips. "Hey, Renesmee." He nodded at me.

"What's up?" Jacob greeted him.

Brady glanced behind him before leaning in to us. "I just heard from Nikki that Solomon got six months in county."

"County?" I asked.

"County jail," Brady explained. "His sentencing was yesterday."

Jacob was shaking his head. "What about the others?

"Perry got ninety days and Del got probation. Jimmy's charges were dropped."

That couldn't be right. "That's it?" I asked. "That doesn't seem nearly long enough."

Brady shrugged. "Well, they were first-time offenders, so I guess the judge went easy on them."

Jacob scuffed the ground. "Well, I sincerely doubt it'll be the last time they see a judge. Pretty sketchy bunch."

"Well, if they have any sense, they'll stay the hell out of Forks. Beating up the chief isn't exactly going to endear you to the local police force." Brady smiled at me, before turning to where Colin was shouting his name across the lawn.

Colin was waving his arm. "Brady, come on! We're supposed to be helping with set-up."

"Hey, gotta run." Brady started trotting away. "See you there!"

The crowd on the lawn was definitely thinner, and I spied Charlie and Sue getting into Sue's Taurus to head over to where the party was being held.

"We should probably head over as well," Jacob said.

I nodded in agreement. "I've got my clothes inside. I'll change and be right back out."

I met Jacob at the curb, where he sat straddling his motorcycle. My stomach flipped at the sight of him, casually sitting on the bike, looking like a rebel movie star. I strapped on the helmet and threw my leg over the seat. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I felt his hard lean body underneath my hands as I pressed my belly and thighs against him. With a smooth twist of the throttle, we were off.

The meeting room in the hall was decorated with paper bells, crepe paper and there were fresh flowers on the tables. The food was being set out on buffet tables, and I could see a bunch of Sue's female relatives scurrying back and forth from the kitchen. Just beyond the double doors leading to the field, Billy and his friends had a pig roasting. I could hear the drumming group getting started down the hall and a DJ was setting up equipment in a corner. People were starting to arrive in droves and it seemed to be shaping up into a fine party.

I'd had about an hour or so of mingling and laughing with the guests when Karina, accompanied by six other girls tugged at the hem of my tee shirt.

"You promised a story," she said plaintively.

I leaned down to her. "I did, didn't I?"

She nodded solemnly.

I grabbed her hand. "Well come on then." We walked to a quiet corner of the hall, the rest of the children trailing us. I settled down on the floor and pulled Karina into my lap. "Come on," I gestured to the rest of them to come closer. I pushed the sleeves of my shirt up and rolled my pant legs up so there was plenty of skin to touch. They flocked around me and several more children saw us and came over as well. Gradually they settled around me, each of them placing their small hot hands somewhere on my skin. One small boy held back, several paces from us.

He looked unhappy and distrustful. "She smells funny," he said, his bottom lip pouting.

"Come on," urged Keenan, Jared's brother and one of the older boys in the group surrounding me. "She's cool. You'll get used to it."

He tentatively stepped towards me and gingerly sat down, reaching out a hand toward my ankle. From across the table in front of us, I heard Sue's sister say, "Looks like the kids talked Nessie into a story."

Another voice answered. "Good, that'll keep them out from underfoot for a while."

"Tell the one about when Thunderbird catches the whale," urged Keenan.

"No, tell about when Raven gets caught by the fox," said a small voice to my left.

"Hmmm," I temporized. "I know. Once upon a time there was an old lady who…."

The group around me protested. "No, no," they all chorused. "_Show_ us the story."

"All right, then," I said to the children surrounding me. "This is a story about Bear. He was traveling through the forest one day when Beaver came rushing up to him, all excited." As I spoke, I let the images in my mind project to the kids, showing them what happened as my tale progressed. I spoke along as I showed them the story; these were Quileute stories that they would one day tell to their children.

Across the room, I saw Jacob talking to Sam and Quil, a beer in his hand. My eyes caught his and the two of us smiled at each other across the distance. I felt that familiar jump in my stomach as I contemplated the boyfriend who was my soul mate. I felt warm and welcome, a part of this rich and human community, and knew I had found my place.

**_The End_**

* * *

Thanks to all who reviewed! Your support has been invaluable.

To all the wonderful people I have met while posting this story MWAH!


End file.
